Metal grids covered by graphene were used as transparent conductive electrodes in dye sensitized solar cells. The efficiency of dye sensitized solar cells with graphene-on-Pt grids was 0.4%. Compared to the control group, in which the platinum grids were used as a transparent conductive layer, the efficiency of dye sensitized solar cells with graphene was more than 2 times better. To our knowledge, it is the most efficient dye sensitized solar cell to use a graphene-based transparent conductive electrode without a conductive oxide support such as fluorine-doped tin oxide or indium-doped tin oxide. The dye sensitized solar cell prepared by 150 °C as the low temperature processes, which are essential for fabricating flexible dye sensitized solar cells, was fabricated using a hybrid graphene on Ni grids transparent conductive electrode, and it exhibited an efficiency of 0.25%. The mechanical properties of the flexible hybrid transparent electrode are better than the oxide-based transparent conductive electrode in both bending and stretching tests. Therefore, the long-term stability of the flexible dye sensitized solar cells could be enhanced by using this new transparent conductive layer.

•Brief overview of carbonaceous materials.•Methods in fabricating CNTs and CNTs/hybrids on porous Ni.•Battery performance of CNTs and CNTs/hybrids on porous Ni.Graphite materials are widely used in the commercialized lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) as anode materials. However, the capacity of graphite anode is relatively low and cannot afford enough energy density required in many emerging applications. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) possess both high specific surface area and excellent electrical conductivity, which render them desired materials for the electrode of energy storage devices. In this short review article, LIB electrodes prepared by integrating three dimensional nickel structures and CNTs are reviewed. In addition, different methods of attaching CNT and hybrid-CNT on porous Ni are discussed.