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Liu X, Ji Y, Xia Z, Zhang D, Cheng Y, Liu X, Ren X, Liu X, Huang H, Zhu Y, Yang X, Liao X, Ren L, Tan W, Jiang Z, Lu J, McNeill C, Huang W. In-Doped ZnO Electron Transport Layer for High-Efficiency Ultrathin Flexible Organic Solar Cells. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024:e2402158. [PMID: 38923280 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202402158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Sol-gel processed zinc oxide (ZnO) is one of the most widely used electron transport layers (ETLs) in inverted organic solar cells (OSCs). The high annealing temperature (≈200 °C) required for sintering to ensure a high electron mobility however results in severe damage to flexible substrates. Thus, flexible organic solar cells based on sol-gel processed ZnO exhibit significantly lower efficiency than rigid devices. In this paper, an indium-doping approach is developed to improve the optoelectronic properties of ZnO layers and reduce the required annealing temperature. Inverted OSCs based on In-doped ZnO (IZO) exhibit a higher efficiency than those based on ZnO for a range of different active layer systems. For the PM6:L8-BO system, the efficiency increases from 17.0% for the pristine ZnO-based device to 17.8% for the IZO-based device. The IZO-based device with an active layer of PM6:L8-BO:BTP-eC9 exhibits an even higher efficiency of up to 18.1%. In addition, a 1.2-micrometer-thick inverted ultrathin flexible organic solar cell is fabricated based on the IZO ETL that achieves an efficiency of 17.0% with a power-per-weight ratio of 40.4 W g-1, which is one of the highest efficiency for ultrathin (less than 10 micrometers) flexible organic solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiujun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China
| | - Yitong Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China
| | - Zezhou Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China
| | - Dongyang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China
| | - Yingying Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China
| | - Xiangda Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China
| | - Xiaojie Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China
| | - Xiaotong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China
| | - Haoran Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China
| | - Yanqing Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for Architectures, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China
| | - Xueyuan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China
| | - Xiaobin Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China
| | - Long Ren
- International School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China
| | - Wenliang Tan
- Australian Synchrotron, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia
| | - Zhi Jiang
- School of Integrated Circuits, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, 518055, P. R. China
| | - Jianfeng Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for Architectures, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China
| | - Christopher McNeill
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia
| | - Wenchao Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China
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2
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Yang F, Xia Y, Zhang B, Xu C, Yang W, Li Y. Flexible construction of RGO-encapsulated fine Pd/α-Fe2O3 composite with elevated Photo-Fenton reaction performance. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2020.125785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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3
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Huang S, Kang B, Duan L, Zhang D. Highly efficient inverted polymer solar cells by using solution processed MgO/ZnO composite interfacial layers. J Colloid Interface Sci 2021; 583:178-187. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2020.09.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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4
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Yuan Q, Zhang Z, Li L, Agbolaghi S, Mousavi S. Improved stability in
P3HT
:
PCBM
photovoltaics by incorporation of
well‐designed
polythiophene/graphene compositions. POLYM INT 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pi.6024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Zunju Zhang
- Heibei University of Environmental Engineering Qinhuangdao China
| | - Lei Li
- Northeast Petroleum University Qinhuangdao China
| | - Samira Agbolaghi
- Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of EngineeringAzarbaijan Shahid Madani University Tabriz Iran
| | - Saina Mousavi
- Department of ChemistryPayame Noor University Tehran Iran
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5
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Babu BH, Lyu C, Zhang H, Chen Z, Li F, Feng L, Hao X. Modification of Hole Transport Layers for Fabricating High Performance Non‐fullerene Polymer Solar Cells. CHINESE J CHEM 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/cjoc.201900462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- B. Hari Babu
- School of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University Jinan Shandong 250100 China
| | - Chengkun Lyu
- School of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University Jinan Shandong 250100 China
| | - Hongwei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Jilin University Changchun, Jilin 130012 China
| | - Zhihao Chen
- School of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University Jinan Shandong 250100 China
| | - Fenghong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Jilin University Changchun, Jilin 130012 China
| | - Lin Feng
- School of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University Jinan Shandong 250100 China
| | - Xiao‐Tao Hao
- School of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University Jinan Shandong 250100 China
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science, School of Chemistry, University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria 3010 Australia
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6
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Chandrasekaran N, Li C, Singh S, Kumar A, McNeill CR, Huettner S, Kabra D. Role of Molecular and Interchain Ordering in the Formation of a δ-Hole-Transporting Layer in Organic Solar Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:3806-3814. [PMID: 31840485 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b17341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Interface engineering, especially the realization of Ohmic contacts at the interface between organic semiconductors and metal contacts, is one of the essential preconditions to achieve high-efficiency organic electronic devices. Here, the interface structures of polymer/fullerene blends are correlated with the charge extraction/injection properties of working organic solar cells. The model system-poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT):phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM)-is fabricated using two different degrees of P3HT regioregularity to alter the blend interchain order and molecular packing, resulting in different device performances. Investigations by electroabsorption spectroscopy on these devices indicate a significant reduction (≈1 V) in the built-in potential with an increase in the P3HT regioregularity. This observation is also supported by a change in the work function (WF) of high regioregular polymer blends from photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. These results confirm the presence of a strong dipole layer acting as a δ-hole-transporting layer at the polymer/MoO3/Ag electrode interface. Unipolar hole-only devices show an increase in the magnitude of the hole current in high regioregular P3HT devices, suggesting an increase in the hole injection/extraction efficiency inside the device with a δ-hole-transporting layer. Microscopically, near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy was conducted to probe the surface microstructure in these blends, finding a highly edge-on orientation of P3HT chains in blends made with high regioregular P3HT. This edge-on orientation of P3HT chains at the interface results in a layer of oriented alkyl side chains capping the surface, which favors the formation of a dipole layer at the polymer/MoO3 interface. The increase in the charge extraction efficiency due to the formation of a δ-hole-transporting layer thus results in higher short circuit currents and fill factor values, eventually increasing the device efficiency in high regioregular P3HT devices despite a slight decrease in cell open circuit voltage. These findings emphasize the significance of WF control as a tool for improved device performance and pave the way toward interfacial optimization based on the modulation of fundamental polymer properties, such as polymer regioregularity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naresh Chandrasekaran
- IITB-Monash Research Academy , IIT Bombay , Mumbai 400076 , India
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , Monash University , Wellington Road , Clayton , Victoria 3800 , Australia
| | - Cheng Li
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering , Xiamen University , Xiamen 361005 , China
- Department of Chemistry , Universität Bayreuth , Bayreuth 95440 , Germany
| | | | | | - Christopher R McNeill
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , Monash University , Wellington Road , Clayton , Victoria 3800 , Australia
| | - Sven Huettner
- Department of Chemistry , Universität Bayreuth , Bayreuth 95440 , Germany
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7
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Gurney RS, Lidzey DG, Wang T. A review of non-fullerene polymer solar cells: from device physics to morphology control. REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN PHYSICS. PHYSICAL SOCIETY (GREAT BRITAIN) 2019; 82:036601. [PMID: 30731432 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6633/ab0530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The rise in power conversion efficiency of organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices over the last few years has been driven by the emergence of new organic semiconductors and the growing understanding of morphological control at both the molecular and aggregation scales. Non-fullerene OPVs adopting p-type conjugated polymers as the donor and n-type small molecules as the acceptor have exhibited steady progress, outperforming PCBM-based solar cells and reaching efficiencies of over 15% in 2019. This review starts with a refreshed discussion of charge separation, recombination, and V OC loss in non-fullerene OPVs, followed by a review of work undertaken to develop favorable molecular configurations required for high device performance. We summarize several key approaches that have been employed to tune the nanoscale morphology in non-fullerene photovoltaic blends, comparing them (where appropriate) to their PCBM-based counterparts. In particular, we discuss issues ranging from materials chemistry to solution processing and post-treatments, showing how this can lead to enhanced photovoltaic properties. Particular attention is given to the control of molecular configuration through solution processing, which can have a pronounced impact on the structure of the solid-state photoactive layer. Key challenges, including green solvent processing, stability and lifetime, burn-in, and thickness-dependence in non-fullerene OPVs are briefly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert S Gurney
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China
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8
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Manion JG, Panchuk JR, Seferos DS. Applying Heteroatom Substitution in Organic Photovoltaics. CHEM REC 2019; 19:1113-1122. [PMID: 30793821 DOI: 10.1002/tcr.201800182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Poly(3-alkylthiophene) (P3AT) has been a central focus of research on organic photovoltaics (OPVs) for well over a decade. Due to their controlled synthesis P3ATs have proven to be a vital model system for developing an understanding of the effects of polymer structure on optoelectronic properties and blend morphology in bulk heterojunction OPVs. Similar to their thiophene counterparts, selenophene and tellurophene can be polymerized in a controlled manner. As single atom substitution results in significant differences in absorption, charge transport and self-assembly these model systems provide a unique opportunity to probe fundamental structure-property relationships. In this account, we provide an overview of our work on copolymers of thiophene and selenophene and examine how the optoelectronic and morphological behavior of these materials can be strategically adjusted through polymer design. We also highlight recent developments on poly(3-alkyltellurophene) and comment on its future in fundamental and applied studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph G Manion
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, CAN M5S 3H6
| | - Jenny R Panchuk
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, CAN M5S 3H6
| | - Dwight S Seferos
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, CAN M5S 3H6
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, 200 College Street, Toronto, ON, CAN M5S 3E5
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9
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Huang S, Pang Y, Li X, Wang Y, Yu A, Tang Y, Kang B, Silva SRP, Lu G. Strontium Fluoride and Zinc Oxide Stacked Structure as an Interlayer in High-Performance Inverted Polymer Solar Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2019; 11:2149-2158. [PMID: 30582327 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b18963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Enhanced power conversion efficiency is reported in inverted polymer solar cells when an ultrathin layer of strontium fluoride (SrF2) is evaporated on the surface of the solution-processed zinc oxide (ZnO) electron transport layer. The photoactive layer is made up of bulk heterojunction composites of poly[4,8-bis(5(2-ethylhexyl)thiophen-2-yl)benzo[1,2- b:4,5- b']dithiopheneco-3-fluorothieno[3,4- b]-thiophene-2-carboxylate] and [6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester. The ZnO film acts as an effective electron transport layer, whereas the ultrathin SrF2 layer improves the energy level alignment and enhances the built-in potential via the formation of an interfacial dipole layer at the interfaces between the ZnO film and the photoactive layer, resulting in an enhanced electron extraction efficiency and a decreased carrier recombination loss. Furthermore, the SrF2 layer reduces the inherent incompatibility between the hydrophilic ZnO film and the hydrophobic photoactive layer. As a result, all the photovoltaic performance parameters are remarkably improved, leading to a high efficiency of up to 10.46% (with a fill factor of 71.38%), corresponding to a ca. 21% improvement over the reference device performance (8.64%). The use of a ZnO/SrF2 stacked interlayer provides a simple, but effective, approach to obtain high-efficiency inverted PSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Huang
- State Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering , Jilin University , 2699 Qianjin Street , Changchun 130012 , China
| | - Yu Pang
- State Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering , Jilin University , 2699 Qianjin Street , Changchun 130012 , China
| | - Xu Li
- State Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering , Jilin University , 2699 Qianjin Street , Changchun 130012 , China
| | - Yunhe Wang
- State Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering , Jilin University , 2699 Qianjin Street , Changchun 130012 , China
| | - Ancan Yu
- State Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering , Jilin University , 2699 Qianjin Street , Changchun 130012 , China
| | - Yuting Tang
- State Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering , Jilin University , 2699 Qianjin Street , Changchun 130012 , China
| | - Bonan Kang
- State Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering , Jilin University , 2699 Qianjin Street , Changchun 130012 , China
| | - S Ravi P Silva
- Nanoelectronics Centre, Advanced Technology Institute , University of Surrey , Guildford , Surrey GU2 7XH , United Kingdom
| | - Geyu Lu
- State Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering , Jilin University , 2699 Qianjin Street , Changchun 130012 , China
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10
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Lee S, Seo J, Kim H, Song DI, Kim Y. Investigation of short-term stability in high efficiency polymer : nonfullerene solar cells via quick current-voltage cycling method. KOREAN J CHEM ENG 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s11814-018-0154-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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11
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Huang W, Zhu B, Chang SY, Zhu S, Cheng P, Hsieh YT, Meng L, Wang R, Wang C, Zhu C, McNeill C, Wang M, Yang Y. High Mobility Indium Oxide Electron Transport Layer for an Efficient Charge Extraction and Optimized Nanomorphology in Organic Photovoltaics. NANO LETTERS 2018; 18:5805-5811. [PMID: 30075074 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.8b02452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The electron transport layer (ETL) plays an important role in determining the device efficiency of organic solar cells (OSCs). A rational design of an ETL for OSCs targets high charge extraction and induction of an optimized active layer morphology. In this Letter, a high mobility In2O3 synthesized via a solution-processed combustion reaction is successfully used as a universal ETL in an organic photovoltaic device. With the modification of a thin layer of polyethylenimine ethoxylated (PEIE), a device based on crystalline In2O3 outperforms its counterpart, ZnO, in both PBDTTT-EFT-based fullerene and nonfullerene systems. As ZnO is replaced by In2O3, the average efficiency increases from 9.5% to 10.5% for PBDTTT-EFT-PC71BM fullerene-based organic solar cells and also increases from 10.8% to 11.5% for PBDTTT-EFT-IEICO-4F nonfullerene-based organic solar cells, respectively. Morphological studies have unraveled the fact that the crystalline In2O3 ETL with highly aligned nanocrystallites has induced the crystallization of polymer into a preferential molecular packing that favors the charge transport across an active layer. From the photophysical study, it is found that charge extraction in the crystalline In2O3 device is significantly faster than in the ZnO device due to the higher mobility of In2O3 and optimized nanomorphology of the active layer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenchao Huang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , University of California , Los Angeles , California 90095 , United States
- California NanoSystems Institute , University of California , Los Angeles , California 90095 , United States
| | - Bowen Zhu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , University of California , Los Angeles , California 90095 , United States
- California NanoSystems Institute , University of California , Los Angeles , California 90095 , United States
| | - Sheng-Yung Chang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , University of California , Los Angeles , California 90095 , United States
- California NanoSystems Institute , University of California , Los Angeles , California 90095 , United States
| | - Shuanglin Zhu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , University of California , Los Angeles , California 90095 , United States
- California NanoSystems Institute , University of California , Los Angeles , California 90095 , United States
| | - Pei Cheng
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , University of California , Los Angeles , California 90095 , United States
- California NanoSystems Institute , University of California , Los Angeles , California 90095 , United States
| | - Yao-Tsung Hsieh
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , University of California , Los Angeles , California 90095 , United States
- California NanoSystems Institute , University of California , Los Angeles , California 90095 , United States
| | - Lei Meng
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , University of California , Los Angeles , California 90095 , United States
- California NanoSystems Institute , University of California , Los Angeles , California 90095 , United States
| | - Rui Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , University of California , Los Angeles , California 90095 , United States
- California NanoSystems Institute , University of California , Los Angeles , California 90095 , United States
| | - Chaochen Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , University of California , Los Angeles , California 90095 , United States
- California NanoSystems Institute , University of California , Los Angeles , California 90095 , United States
| | - Chenhui Zhu
- Advanced Light Source , Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , Berkeley , California 94720 , United States
| | - Christopher McNeill
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , Monash University , Clayton , Victoria 3800 , Australia
| | - Mingkui Wang
- Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics , Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan 430070 , People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , University of California , Los Angeles , California 90095 , United States
- California NanoSystems Institute , University of California , Los Angeles , California 90095 , United States
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12
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Huang W, Cheng P, Yang YM, Li G, Yang Y. High-Performance Organic Bulk-Heterojunction Solar Cells Based on Multiple-Donor or Multiple-Acceptor Components. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2018; 30:1705706. [PMID: 29333744 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201705706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Revised: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Organic solar cells (OSCs) based on bulk heterojunction structures are promising candidates for next-generation solar cells. However, the narrow absorption bandwidth of organic semiconductors is a critical issue resulting in insufficient usage of the energy from the solar spectrum, and as a result, it hinders performance. Devices based on multiple-donor or multiple-acceptor components with complementary absorption spectra provide a solution to address this issue. OSCs based on multiple-donor or multiple-acceptor systems have achieved power conversion efficiencies over 12%. Moreover, the introduction of an additional component can further facilitate charge transfer and reduce charge recombination through cascade energy structure and optimized morphology. This progress report provides an overview of the recent progress in OSCs based on multiple-donor (polymer/polymer, polymer/dye, and polymer/small molecule) or multiple-acceptor (fullerene/fullerene, fullerene/nonfullerene, and nonfullerene/nonfullerene) components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenchao Huang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Pei Cheng
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Yang Michael Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Gang Li
- Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
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13
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Huang W, Chandrasekaran N, Prasad SKK, Gann E, Thomsen L, Kabra D, Hodgkiss JM, Cheng YB, McNeill CR. Impact of Fullerene Mixing Behavior on the Microstructure, Photophysics, and Device Performance of Polymer/Fullerene Solar Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2016; 8:29608-29618. [PMID: 27704763 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b10404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Here, a comprehensive study of the influence of polymer:fullerene mixing behavior on the performance, thin-film microstructure, photophysics, and device physics of polymer solar cells is presented. In particular, blends of the donor polymer PBDTTT-EFT with the acceptor PC71BM that exhibit power conversion efficiencies over 9% are investigated. Through tuning of the fullerene concentration in PBDTTT-EFT:PC71BM blends, the impact of fullerene mixing behavior is systematically investigated via a combination of synchrotron-based X-ray scattering and spectroscopy techniques. The impact of fullerene loading on photophysics and device physics is further explored with steady-state photoluminescence measurements, ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy, and transient photovoltage measurements. In the low fullerene concentration regime (<50 wt %), most fullerene molecules are dispersed in the polymer matrix, resulting in severe geminate and nongeminate recombination due to a lack of pure fullerene aggregates and percolating pathways for charge separation and transport. In the high fullerene concentration regime (>70 wt %), large fullerene domains result in incomplete PC71BM exciton harvesting with the presence of fullerene molecules also disrupting the molecular packing of polymer crystallites. The optimum fullerene concentration of ∼60-67 wt % balances the requirements of charge generation and charge collection. These findings demonstrate that controlling the fullerene concentration in the mixed phase and optimizing the balance between pure and mixed phases are critical for maximizing the efficiency of highly mixed polymer/fullerene solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenchao Huang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University , Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Naresh Chandrasekaran
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University , Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay , Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
- IITB-Monash Research Academy, IIT Bombay , Mumbai 400076, India
| | | | - Eliot Gann
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University , Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- Australian Synchrotron , 800 Blackburn Road, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia
| | - Lars Thomsen
- Australian Synchrotron , 800 Blackburn Road, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia
| | - Dinesh Kabra
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay , Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
| | | | - Yi-Bing Cheng
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University , Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Christopher R McNeill
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University , Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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14
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High efficient and stabilized photovoltaics via morphology manipulating in active layer by rod-coil block copolymers comprising different hydrophilic to hydrophobic dielectric blocks. Eur Polym J 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2016.09.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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15
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Onorato J, Pakhnyuk V, Luscombe CK. Structure and design of polymers for durable, stretchable organic electronics. Polym J 2016. [DOI: 10.1038/pj.2016.76] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Ananthakrishnan SJ, Strain J, Neerudu Sreeramulu N, Mitul A, McNamara LE, Iefanova A, Hammer NI, Qiao Q, Rathnayake H. A novel donor–donor polymeric dyad of Poly(3‐hexylthiophene‐block‐oligo(anthracene‐9,10‐diyl): Synthesis, solid‐state packing, and electronic properties. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/pola.28189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jacob Strain
- Department of ChemistryWestern Kentucky UniversityBowling Green Kentucky
| | | | - Abu Mitul
- Department of Electrical EngineeringSouth Dakota State UniversityBrookings South Dakota
| | - Louis E. McNamara
- Department of Chemistry & BiochemistryUniversity of Mississippi, University Mississippi
| | - Anastasiia Iefanova
- Department of Electrical EngineeringSouth Dakota State UniversityBrookings South Dakota
| | - Nathan I. Hammer
- Department of Chemistry & BiochemistryUniversity of Mississippi, University Mississippi
| | - Qiquan Qiao
- Department of Electrical EngineeringSouth Dakota State UniversityBrookings South Dakota
| | - Hemali Rathnayake
- Department of ChemistryWestern Kentucky UniversityBowling Green Kentucky
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Khanum KK, Ramamurthy PC. Instigating network structure in bulk heterojunction organic solar cells creating a unique approach in augmenting the optical absorption. POLYMER 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2016.03.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Suzuki M, Yamaguchi Y, Takahashi K, Takahira K, Koganezawa T, Masuo S, Nakayama KI, Yamada H. Photoprecursor Approach Enables Preparation of Well-Performing Bulk-Heterojunction Layers Comprising a Highly Aggregating Molecular Semiconductor. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2016; 8:8644-8651. [PMID: 26984761 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b00345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Active-layer morphology critically affects the performance of organic photovoltaic cells, and thus its optimization is a key toward the achievement of high-efficiency devices. However, the optimization of active-layer morphology is sometimes challenging because of the intrinsic properties of materials such as strong self-aggregating nature or low miscibility. This study postulates that the "photoprecursor approach" can serve as an effective means to prepare well-performing bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) layers containing highly aggregating molecular semiconductors. In the photoprecursor approach, a photoreactive precursor compound is solution-deposited and then converted in situ to a semiconducting material. This study employs 2,6-di(2-thienyl)anthracene (DTA) and [6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester as p- and n-type materials, respectively, in which DTA is generated by the photoprecursor approach from the corresponding α-diketone-type derivative DTADK. When only chloroform is used as a cast solvent, the photovoltaic performance of the resulting BHJ films is severely limited because of unfavorable film morphology. The addition of a high-boiling-point cosolvent, o-dichlorobenzene (o-DCB), to the cast solution leads to significant improvement such that the resulting active layers afford up to approximately 5 times higher power conversion efficiencies. The film structure is investigated by two-dimensional grazing-incident wide-angle X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and fluorescence microspectroscopy to demonstrate that the use of o-DCB leads to improvement in film crystallinity and increase in charge-carrier generation efficiency. The change in film structure is assumed to originate from dynamic molecular motion enabled by the existence of solvent during the in situ photoreaction. The unique features of the photoprecursor approach will be beneficial in extending the material and processing scopes for the development of organic thin-film devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsuharu Suzuki
- Graduate School of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology , 8916-5 Takayama-cho, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan
| | - Yuji Yamaguchi
- Department of Organic Device Engineering, Yamagata University , 4-3-16 Jonan, Yonezawa, Yamagata 992-8510, Japan
| | - Kohei Takahashi
- Department of Organic Device Engineering, Yamagata University , 4-3-16 Jonan, Yonezawa, Yamagata 992-8510, Japan
| | - Katsuya Takahira
- Department of Organic Device Engineering, Yamagata University , 4-3-16 Jonan, Yonezawa, Yamagata 992-8510, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Koganezawa
- Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute , 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo 679-5198, Japan
| | - Sadahiro Masuo
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Environment, Kwansei Gakuin University , 2-1 Gakuen, Sanda, Hyogo 669-1337, Japan
| | - Ken-ichi Nakayama
- Department of Organic Device Engineering, Yamagata University , 4-3-16 Jonan, Yonezawa, Yamagata 992-8510, Japan
| | - Hiroko Yamada
- Graduate School of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology , 8916-5 Takayama-cho, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan
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Huang W, Gann E, Thomsen L, Tadich A, Cheng YB, McNeill CR. Metal Evaporation-Induced Degradation of Fullerene Acceptors in Polymer/Fullerene Solar Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2016; 8:2247-2254. [PMID: 26683586 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5b10957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Surface-sensitive NEXAFS spectroscopy is used to probe the interaction between low work function metal electrodes and fullerene derivatives in organic solar cells. Evaporation of either Ca or Al electrodes onto films of the fullerene derivatives (6,6)-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) and indene-C60 bisadduct (ICBA) leads to a dramatic change in the observed NEXAFS spectrum. The observed changes cannot be explained only in terms of interfacial electronic doping or charge transfer, but rather point to the formation of new chemical bonds that destroy the extensive electron delocalization on the C60 cage. A combination of ex situ and in situ ultrahigh vacuum measurements indicates that metal evaporation results in a change in the electronic structure of PCBM that then facilitates chemical degradation and oxidation in the presence of oxygen. To investigate the effect of this chemical interaction on device performance, a unique transfer method to laminate the Al electrode to the top of polymer blend is used, in which case, the chemical degradation of the fullerene is not observed. Device performance of P3HT/PCBM blend solar cells in which the top metal electrode has either been thermally evaporated or transferred is then compared. These results highlight that chemical, as well as electronic, interactions between metals and organic semiconductors must be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenchao Huang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University , Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Eliot Gann
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University , Victoria 3800, Australia
- Australian Synchrotron , 800 Blackburn Rd, Victoria 3168, Australia
| | - Lars Thomsen
- Australian Synchrotron , 800 Blackburn Rd, Victoria 3168, Australia
| | - Anton Tadich
- Australian Synchrotron , 800 Blackburn Rd, Victoria 3168, Australia
| | - Yi-Bing Cheng
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University , Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Christopher R McNeill
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University , Victoria 3800, Australia
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Hao X, Wang S, Sakurai T, Masuda S, Akimoto K. Improvement of Stability for Small Molecule Organic Solar Cells by Suppressing the Trap Mediated Recombination. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2015; 7:18379-18386. [PMID: 26260023 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5b04334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
To understand the degradation mechanism of organic solar cells (OSCs), the charge dynamics of conventional and inverted planar heterojunction OSCs based on boron subthalocyanine chloride (SubPc) and fullerene (C60) with identical buffers during the air exposure were investigated. The results of light intensity dependent open circuit voltage show that the bimolecular recombination is dominated in the fresh devices, regardless of the device structure. The appearance of transient peak in photocurrent after turn-on and the light intensity independent turn-off traces in transient photocurrent suggest that the rapid degradation of conventional device is due to the energy loss originated from the aggravated trap mediated recombination. In contrast, the half-lifetime of inverted device is ∼25 times longer than the conventional one. The improvement of stability is ascribed to the decrease of the trap generation possibility and the suppression of trap mediated recombination in the case of inverted structure, where the penetration of oxygen and water through buffer layer is avoided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Hao
- Institute of Applied Physics, University of Tsukuba , Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8573, Japan
| | - Shenghao Wang
- Institute of Applied Physics, University of Tsukuba , Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8573, Japan
| | - Takeaki Sakurai
- Institute of Applied Physics, University of Tsukuba , Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8573, Japan
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) , Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
| | - Shigeru Masuda
- Department of Basic Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo , Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | - Katsuhiro Akimoto
- Institute of Applied Physics, University of Tsukuba , Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8573, Japan
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