Applications of carbon materials in photovoltaic solar cells

Carbon-based photovoltaic cells (PVCs) have attracted a great deal of interest for both scientific fundamentals and potential applications. In this paper, applications of various carbon materials in PVCs, especially in silicon-based solar cells, organic solar cells and dye-sensitized solar cells, are reviewed. The roles carbon materials played in the PVCs are discussed. Further research on solar cells comprised solely of carbon is prospected.