Preparation of Graphene Aerogel for Application in Solar Energy Harvesting

In this paper, Graphene Aerogel (GA) is prepared and investigated for its potential employment for solar energy harvesting applications. GA can be applied in solar cells applications as an absorption material and as a catalyst for fuel cells. GA is characterized by its extraordinary electrical conductivity and mechanical strength, in addition to a large surface and a low density. The electrical, mechanical, thermal, and absorption characteristics of GA can be tuned depending on the manufacturing process. Hence, GA is utilized in a multitude of applications such as: supercapacitors, air purification, oil and dye absorption from water, and water waste treatment. GA is also an excellent candidate for superior electrodes. In addition, GA are environmentally friendly materials since they are 100% recyclable and do not produce any ozone-depleting compounds. In this paper, GA is synthesized, characterized, and assessed for solar energy harvesting applications with the aid of absorption and Cyclic voltammetry (CV) tests. Results show that GA has immense potential in solar application due to its low band gap and outstanding optical and electrochemical properties.