Improving the Charge Carrier Transport and Suppressing Recombination of Soluble Squaraine-Based Solar Cells via Parallel-Like Structure

Small molecule organic solar cells (SMOSCs) have attracted extensive attention in recent years. Squaraine (SQ) is a kind of small molecule material for potential use in high-efficiency devices, because of its high extinction coefficient and low-cost synthesis. However, the charge carrier mobility of SQ-based film is much lower than other effective materials, which leads to the pretty low fill factor (FF). In this study, we improve the performance of SQ derivative-based solar cells by incorporating PCDTBT into LQ-51/PC71BM host binary blend film. The incorporation of PCDTBT can not only increase the photon harvesting, but also provide an additional hole transport pathway. Through the charge carrier mobility and transient photovoltage measurement, we find that the hole mobility and charge carrier lifetime increase in the ternary system. Also, we carefully demonstrate that the charge carrier transport follows a parallel-like behavior.

Surfactant-free, low band gap conjugated polymer nanoparticles and polymer:fullerene nanohybrids with potential for organic photovoltaics

Stable, aqueous dispersions of nanoparticles based on the low band gap polymers poly [2,7-(9,9-dioctyl-fluorene)-alt-5,5-(4',7'-di-2-thienyl-2',1',3'-benzothiadiazole)] (APFO-3) and poly [N-9'-heptadecanyl-2,7-carbazole-alt-5,5-(4',7'-di-2-thienyl-2',1',3'-benzothiadiazole)] (PCDTBT) were prepared, using a flexible, surfactant-free reprecipitation method, and characterized by a variety of optical techniques. Light scattering measurements indicated average nanoparticle hydrodynamic diameters of approximately 40 nm. The particles presented wide-bandwidth absorption and photoluminescence excitation spectra with high absorption cross-sections on the order of 10(-12) cm(2). Nanoparticle emission spectra were significantly red-shifted, with decreased emission quantum yields and lifetimes, consistent with increased inter-polymer chain interactions in the condensed phase. Single particle photoluminescence studies highlighted the multi-chromophoric nature of the polymer nanoparticles and confirmed their favorable photostabilities. When the nanoparticles were doped with [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), the correspondence of photoluminescence emission quenching, quantum yield decreases, emission lifetime shortening, and increased non-radiative rates with increasing PCBM concentration suggested efficient photo-induced donor-to-acceptor charge transfer between the conjugated polymers and the fullerene dopants co-localized in the nanoparticle cores. Taken together, the data suggest that these surfactant-free hybrid nanomaterials may be useful for integration with future nanostructured organic photovoltaics technologies.

Supramolecular Approaches to Nanoscale Morphological Control in Organic Solar Cells

Having recently surpassed 10% efficiency, solar cells based on organic molecules are poised to become a viable low-cost clean energy source with the added advantages of mechanical flexibility and light weight. The best-performing organic solar cells rely on a nanostructured active layer morphology consisting of a complex organization of electron donating and electron accepting molecules. Although much progress has been made in designing new donor and acceptor molecules, rational control over active layer morphology remains a central challenge. Long-term device stability is another important consideration that needs to be addressed. This review highlights supramolecular strategies for generating highly stable nanostructured organic photovoltaic active materials by design.

Selective Nucleation of Poly(3-hexyl thiophene) Nanofibers on Multilayer Graphene Substrates

We demonstrate that graphene surfaces provide highly selective nucleation of poly(3-hexyl thiophene) (P3HT) nanofibers (NFs) from supersaturated solutions. Solvent conditions are identified that give rise to a wide hysteresis between crystallization and melting centered around room temperature, yielding metastable solutions that are stable against homogeneous nucleation for long periods of time but that allow for heterogeneous nucleation by graphene. Selective growth of P3HT crystals is found for multilayer graphene (MLG) supported on either Si or ITO substrates, with nucleation kinetics that are more rapid for MLG on Si but slower in both cases than for highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). Although the NFs grow vertically from the substrate with face-on orientation of P3HT chains, we observe edge-on orientation in dried films, presumably due to capillary forces that cause collapse of the NFs onto the substrate during solvent evaporation.

Improved performances of PCDTBT:PC71BM BHJ solar cells through incorporating small molecule donor

Incorporating SQ-BP into a PCDTBT:PC₇₁BM host blend not only broadens the absorption spectrum but also decreases the energy loss of excited PCDTBT.

The critical role of additives in binary halogen-free solvent systems for the general processing of highly efficient organic solar cells

Our work demonstrated that the use of the additive strategy for halogen-free solvent systems may provide a feasible route to address the critical environmental issues associated with large-scale manufacturing.

Local structure of semicrystalline P3HT films probed by nanofocused coherent X-rays

Spatially resolved x-ray study of semicrystalline P3HT films reveals nanoscale inhomogeneity of the conjugated network, as well as structural variations induced by Au nanoparticles.

Hydrogen bonding in bulk heterojunction solar cells: a case study

Small molecules with dithieno[3,2-b;2',3'-d]thiophene as central building block and octyl cyanoacetate and octyl cyanoacetamide as different terminal building blocks have been designed and synthesized. The amide containing small molecule can form intermolecular hydrogen bonding between N-H...O = C of the amide group. The photovoltaic properties and active layer morphologies of the two molecules in bulk heterojunction solar cells are compared to study the influence of hydrogen bonding on the active layer morphology. New methanofullerene compound containing amide group has also been synthesized and compared with conventional fullerene electron acceptors.

Improved performances in polymer BHJ solar cells through frontier orbital tuning of small molecule additives in ternary blends

Polymer solar cells fabricated in air under ambient conditions are of significant current interest, because of the implications in practicality of such devices. However, only moderate performance has been obtained for the air-processed devices. Here, we report that enhanced short circuit current density (JSC) and open circuit voltage (VOC) in air-processed poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)-based solar cells can be obtained by using a series of donor-acceptor dyes as the third component in the device. Power conversion efficiencies up to 4.6% were obtained upon addition of the dyes which are comparable to high-performance P3HT solar cells fabricated in controlled environments. Multilayer planar solar cells containing interlayers of the donor-acceptor dyes, revealed that along with infrared sensitization, an energy level cascade architecture and Förster resonance energy transfer could contribute to the enhanced performance.

A mechanistic understanding of processing additive-induced efficiency enhancement in bulk heterojunction organic solar cells

The addition of processing additives is a widely used approach to increase power conversion efficiencies for many organic solar cells. We present how additives change the polymer conformation in the casting solution leading to a more intermixed phase-segregated network structure of the active layer which in turn results in a 5-fold enhancement in efficiency.

Efficient charge transport in assemblies of surfactant-stabilized semiconducting nanoparticles

Charge transport through a semiconducting nanoparticle assembly is demonstrated. The hole mobility of low and high molecular weight and regioreglular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) nanoparticles is on the order of 2 × 10(-4) to 5 × 10(-4) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) , which is comparable to drop-cast thin films of pristine P3HT. Various methods are employed to understand the nature and importance of the nanoparticle packing.