	US 11,676,773 B2
	Carbon-titania nanocomposite thin films and applications of the same
Yu Teng Liang, Chicago, IL (US); Baiju K. Vijayan, Kerala (IN); Kimberly A. Gray, Evanston, IL (US); and Mark C. Hersam, Wilmette, IL (US)
Assigned to NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY, Evanston, IL (US)
Filed by NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY, Evanston, IL (US)
Filed on Nov. 4, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/518,690.
Application 17/518,690 is a division of application No. 15/181,802, filed on Jun. 14, 2016, granted, now 11,195,667.
Application 15/181,802 is a division of application No. 13/745,092, filed on Jan. 18, 2013, granted, now 9,393,550, issued on Jul. 19, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/588,059, filed on Jan. 18, 2012.
Prior Publication US 2022/0076898 A1, Mar. 10, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H01G 9/20 (2006.01); C01G 23/053 (2006.01); B01J 35/00 (2006.01); C01B 32/19 (2017.01); C01B 32/192 (2017.01); B01J 21/18 (2006.01); H01L 21/00 (2006.01); B82Y 30/00 (2011.01); B82Y 40/00 (2011.01); C09D 11/52 (2014.01)

CPC H01G 9/2022 (2013.01) [B01J 35/004 (2013.01); B82Y 30/00 (2013.01); B82Y 40/00 (2013.01); C01B 32/19 (2017.08); C01B 32/192 (2017.08); C01G 23/053 (2013.01); C09D 11/52 (2013.01); H01L 21/00 (2013.01); B01J 21/18 (2013.01); C01P 2004/03 (2013.01); C01P 2004/04 (2013.01); C01P 2004/24 (2013.01); Y02E 10/542 (2013.01); Y02P 70/50 (2015.11)]

8 Claims

1. A dye sensitized solar cell, comprising:

a counter-electrode comprising carbon-titania nanocomposite thin films that are made by:

forming a carbon-based ink, wherein the carbon-based ink comprises a concentrated solvent-exfoliated graphene (SEG) ink;

forming a titania solution containing titanium dioxide (TiO₂);

blade-coating a mechanical mixture of the concentrated SEG ink and the titania solution onto a substrate; and

annealing the blade-coated substrate at a first temperature for a first period of time to obtain the SEG-TiO nanocomposite thin films,

wherein the SEG-TiO₂nanocomposite thin films comprise a homogenous structure and a porous network of SEG nanoplatelets decorated with TiO₂particles, wherein the SEG nanoplatelets and the TiO₂particles are non-covalently bonded to each other in the SEG-TiO₂nanocomposite thin films, and wherein the SEG-TiO₂nanocomposite thin films comprises 0.25-2.15 weight % of the SEG; and

wherein the SEG nanoplatelets are characterized with a first intensity ratio of a peak intensity at a D-band at about 1350 cm⁻¹to a peak intensity at a G-band at about 1590 cm⁻¹of a Raman spectrum of the SEG nanoplatelets, which is a measure of a relative concentration of sp³hybridized defects compared to sp²hybridized graphene domains, wherein the first intensity ratio has an average value of 0.17.