1
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Savedra RML, de Morais MNB, Siqueira MF. On the microstructures of the bulk of P3HT amorphous films obtained from two protocols: Insights from molecular dynamics simulations. J Mol Graph Model 2022; 117:108279. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2022.108279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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2
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Zhu L, Zhang M, Xu J, Li C, Yan J, Zhou G, Zhong W, Hao T, Song J, Xue X, Zhou Z, Zeng R, Zhu H, Chen CC, MacKenzie RCI, Zou Y, Nelson J, Zhang Y, Sun Y, Liu F. Single-junction organic solar cells with over 19% efficiency enabled by a refined double-fibril network morphology. NATURE MATERIALS 2022; 21:656-663. [PMID: 35513501 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-022-01244-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 454] [Impact Index Per Article: 227.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
In organic photovoltaics, morphological control of donor and acceptor domains on the nanoscale is the key for enabling efficient exciton diffusion and dissociation, carrier transport and suppression of recombination losses. To realize this, here, we demonstrated a double-fibril network based on a ternary donor-acceptor morphology with multi-length scales constructed by combining ancillary conjugated polymer crystallizers and a non-fullerene acceptor filament assembly. Using this approach, we achieved an average power conversion efficiency of 19.3% (certified 19.2%). The success lies in the good match between the photoelectric parameters and the morphological characteristic lengths, which utilizes the excitons and free charges efficiently. This strategy leads to an enhanced exciton diffusion length and a reduced recombination rate, hence minimizing photon-to-electron losses in the ternary devices as compared to their binary counterparts. The double-fibril network morphology strategy minimizes losses and maximizes the power output, offering the possibility of 20% power conversion efficiencies in single-junction organic photovoltaics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhu
- Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, In-situ Center for Physical Science, and Center of Hydrogen Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ming Zhang
- Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, In-situ Center for Physical Science, and Center of Hydrogen Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinqiu Xu
- Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, In-situ Center for Physical Science, and Center of Hydrogen Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chao Li
- School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Yan
- Department of Physics, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| | - Guanqing Zhou
- Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, In-situ Center for Physical Science, and Center of Hydrogen Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenkai Zhong
- Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, In-situ Center for Physical Science, and Center of Hydrogen Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tianyu Hao
- Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, In-situ Center for Physical Science, and Center of Hydrogen Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiali Song
- School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaonan Xue
- Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, In-situ Center for Physical Science, and Center of Hydrogen Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zichun Zhou
- Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, In-situ Center for Physical Science, and Center of Hydrogen Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Zeng
- Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, In-situ Center for Physical Science, and Center of Hydrogen Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haiming Zhu
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chun-Chao Chen
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Yecheng Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Fluorinated Functional Membrane Materials and Dongyue Future Hydrogen Energy Materials Company, Zibo, China
| | - Jenny Nelson
- Department of Physics, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Yongming Zhang
- Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, In-situ Center for Physical Science, and Center of Hydrogen Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Fluorinated Functional Membrane Materials and Dongyue Future Hydrogen Energy Materials Company, Zibo, China
| | - Yanming Sun
- School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing, China.
| | - Feng Liu
- Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, In-situ Center for Physical Science, and Center of Hydrogen Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Fluorinated Functional Membrane Materials and Dongyue Future Hydrogen Energy Materials Company, Zibo, China.
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3
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Xia X, Lau TK, Guo X, Li Y, Qin M, Liu K, Chen Z, Zhan X, Xiao Y, Chan PF, Liu H, Xu L, Cai G, Li N, Zhu H, Li G, Zhu Y, Zhu T, Zhan X, Wang XL, Lu X. Uncovering the out-of-plane nanomorphology of organic photovoltaic bulk heterojunction by GTSAXS. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6226. [PMID: 34711821 PMCID: PMC8553947 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26510-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The bulk morphology of the active layer of organic solar cells (OSCs) is known to be crucial to the device performance. The thin film device structure breaks the symmetry into the in-plane direction and out-of-plane direction with respect to the substrate, leading to an intrinsic anisotropy in the bulk morphology. However, the characterization of out-of-plane nanomorphology within the active layer remains a grand challenge. Here, we utilized an X-ray scattering technique, Grazing-incident Transmission Small-angle X-ray Scattering (GTSAXS), to uncover this new morphology dimension. This technique was implemented on the model systems based on fullerene derivative (P3HT:PC71BM) and non-fullerene systems (PBDBT:ITIC, PM6:Y6), which demonstrated the successful extraction of the quantitative out-of-plane acceptor domain size of OSC systems. The detected in-plane and out-of-plane domain sizes show strong correlations with the device performance, particularly in terms of exciton dissociation and charge transfer. With the help of GTSAXS, one could obtain a more fundamental perception about the three-dimensional nanomorphology and new angles for morphology control strategies towards highly efficient photovoltaic devices.
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Grants
- 15305020 Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee (RGC, UGC)
- 14303519 Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee (RGC, UGC)
- JLFS/P-102/18 Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee (RGC, UGC)
- N_CUHK418/17 Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee (RGC, UGC)
- 51761165023 National Science Foundation of China | National Natural Science Foundation of China-Yunnan Joint Fund (NSFC-Yunnan Joint Fund)
- 4442384 CUHK | Hong Kong Institute of Educational Research, Chinese University of Hong Kong (HKIER,CUHK)
- National Key Research and Development Program of China
- the Hong Kong Polytechnic University grant
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Neutron Scattering Science and Technology
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Xia
- Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Tsz-Ki Lau
- Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Xuyun Guo
- Department of Applied Physics, Research Institute for Smart Energy, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yuhao Li
- Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Minchao Qin
- Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Kuan Liu
- Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Zeng Chen
- Center for Chemistry of High-Performance & Novel Materials, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaozhi Zhan
- Spallation Neutron Source Science Center, Dongguan, 523803, China
- Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yiqun Xiao
- Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Pok Fung Chan
- Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Heng Liu
- Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Luhang Xu
- Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Guilong Cai
- Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Na Li
- National Facility for Protein Science in Shanghai, Zhangjiang Laboratory, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Science, No.333, Haike Road, Shanghai, 201204, People's Republic of China
| | - Haiming Zhu
- Center for Chemistry of High-Performance & Novel Materials, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, Zhejiang, China
| | - Gang Li
- Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ye Zhu
- Department of Applied Physics, Research Institute for Smart Energy, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tao Zhu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Xiaowei Zhan
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Xun-Li Wang
- Department of Physics and Center for Neutron Scattering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xinhui Lu
- Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong, 999077, China.
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4
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Schwaiger DM, Lohstroh W, Müller-Buschbaum P. The Influence of the Blend Ratio, Solvent Additive, and Post-production Treatment on the Polymer Dynamics in PTB7:PCBM Blend Films. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c00313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dominik M. Schwaiger
- Physik-Department, Technische Universität München, Lehrstuhl für Funktionelle Materialien James-Franck-Straße 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Wiebke Lohstroh
- Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ), Technische Universität München, Lichtenbergstraße 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Peter Müller-Buschbaum
- Physik-Department, Technische Universität München, Lehrstuhl für Funktionelle Materialien James-Franck-Straße 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
- Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ), Technische Universität München, Lichtenbergstraße 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
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5
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Chu JY, Lin CY, Tu TH, Hong SH, Chang YY, Yang CW, Chan YT, Liu CL, Komarov PV, Tung SH. Methyl-Branched Side Chains on Polythiophene Suppress Chain Mobility and Crystallization to Enhance Photovoltaic Performance. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c00346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Yi Chu
- Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering and Advanced Research Center for Green Materials Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Yi Lin
- Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering and Advanced Research Center for Green Materials Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Tsung-Han Tu
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Shao-Huan Hong
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Ying Chang
- Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering and Advanced Research Center for Green Materials Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Wei Yang
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Tsu Chan
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Liang Liu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Pavel V. Komarov
- Tver State University, Tver 170100 Russia
- A.N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds RAS, Vavilova St. 28, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Shih-Huang Tung
- Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering and Advanced Research Center for Green Materials Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
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6
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Lee Y, Mongare A, Plant A, Ryu D. Strain-Microstructure-Optoelectronic Inter-Relationship toward Engineering Mechano-Optoelectronic Conjugated Polymer Thin Films. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:935. [PMID: 33803632 PMCID: PMC8002877 DOI: 10.3390/polym13060935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechano-optoelectronic (MO) behavior indicates changes in optoelectronic properties in response to the applied mechanical deformation. The MO behavior can be employed to monitor the mechanical deformation of a targeted system by tracing its optoelectronic properties. Poly(3-hexylthiophene) and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT/PCBM) blend thin films exhibited changes in direct current under tensile strain. Although optoelectronic properties and photovoltaic performance of P3HT/PCBM blends have been studied extensively and intensively, research required for MO properties has a fundamental difference from previous research mostly for solar cells. In research for MO systems, a greater extent of changes in optoelectronic properties under mechanical deformation is favorable. Herein, previous research for optoelectronic properties and mechanical properties of conjugated polymers will be reviewed from a perspective on MO properties. The microstructure of a conjugated polymer thin film plays a pivotal role in its optoelectronic properties and mechanical properties. Key parameters involved in the microstructure of conjugated polymer thin films will be addressed. A scalable process is required to broaden applications of MO systems. Potential challenges in the fabrication of MO conjugated polymer thin films will be discussed. Finally, this review is envisioned to provide insight into the design and manufacturing of MO conjugated polymer thin films.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youngmin Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM 87801, USA;
| | - Alfred Mongare
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM 87801, USA;
| | - Aaron Plant
- Department of Chemical Engineering, New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM 87801, USA;
| | - Donghyeon Ryu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM 87801, USA;
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7
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Park S, Kim T, Yoon S, Koh CW, Woo HY, Son HJ. Progress in Materials, Solution Processes, and Long-Term Stability for Large-Area Organic Photovoltaics. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2020; 32:e2002217. [PMID: 33020976 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202002217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Organic solar cells based on bulk heterojunctions (BHJs) are attractive energy-conversion devices that can generate electricity from absorbed sunlight by dissociating excitons and collecting charge carriers. Recent breakthroughs attained by development of nonfullerene acceptors result in significant enhancement in power conversion efficiency (PCEs) exceeding 17%. However, most of researches have focused on pursuing high efficiency of small-area (<1 cm2 ) unit cells fabricated usually with spin coating. For practical application of organic photovoltaics (OPVs) from lab-scale unit cells to industrial products, it is essential to develop efficient technologies that can extend active area of devices with minimized loss of performance and ensured operational stability. In this progress report, an overview of recent advancements in materials and processing technologies is provided for transitioning from small-area laboratory-scale devices to large-area industrial scale modules. First, development of materials that satisfy requirements of high tolerability in active layer thickness and large-area adaptability is introduced. Second, morphology control using various coating techniques in a large active area is discussed. Third, the recent research progress is also underlined for understanding mechanisms of OPV degradation and studies for improving device long-term stability along with reliable evaluation procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungmin Park
- Advanced Photovoltaics Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Taehee Kim
- Advanced Photovoltaics Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Seongwon Yoon
- Advanced Photovoltaics Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang Woo Koh
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Han Young Woo
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Hae Jung Son
- Advanced Photovoltaics Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
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8
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VonWald IA, Frye SG, Moog MM, Donley CL, Tsui F, You W. Initiation and Polymer Density of Conjugated Polymer Brushes. J Phys Chem B 2020; 124:9734-9744. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c06923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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9
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Rangel M, Güizado-Rodríguez M, Maldonado JL, Olayo-Valles R, Barba V, Reveles JU. Eco-friendly synthesis of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) by direct arylation polymerization: Analysis of the properties that determine its performance in BHJ solar cells. POLYMER 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2020.122348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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10
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Ahn KS, Jo H, Kim JB, Seo I, Lee HH, Lee DR. Structural Transition and Interdigitation of Alkyl Side Chains in the Conjugated Polymer Poly(3-hexylthiophene) and Their Effects on the Device Performance of the Associated Organic Field-Effect Transistor. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:1142-1150. [PMID: 31840490 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b17631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Direct grazing-angle X-ray scattering evidence of the order-disorder transition and interdigitation of side chains in a conjugated polymer poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) is presented. The free methyl ends of the side chains exhibit closest packing, as in n-alkane crystallization, and cause a structural mismatch due to the difference between their packing density and the areal density of the attached ends. This mismatch is resolved by increases in the tilt angle of the side chains and local interdigitation. In situ X-ray scattering and electrical measurements show that the structural transition and interdigitation of these side chains strongly affect its surface morphology as well as the charge transport properties of the resulting P3HT-based organic field-effect transistor. Since most conjugated polymers have side chains, the results of this study provide a deeper understanding of the effects of side chains on the structural and electrical properties of conjugated backbones. These results also provide a new perspective on the formation of a metastable polymorph consisting of interdigitated P3HT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwang Seok Ahn
- Department of Physics , Soongsil University , Seoul 06978 , Korea
| | - Hyerin Jo
- Department of Physics , Soongsil University , Seoul 06978 , Korea
| | - Jong Beom Kim
- Department of Physics , Soongsil University , Seoul 06978 , Korea
| | - Ilwan Seo
- Department of Physics , Soongsil University , Seoul 06978 , Korea
| | - Hyun Hwi Lee
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, POSTECH , Pohang 37673 , Korea
| | - Dong Ryeol Lee
- Department of Physics , Soongsil University , Seoul 06978 , Korea
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11
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Li J, Xue M, Xue N, Li H, Zhang L, Ren Z, Yan S, Sun X. Highly Anisotropic P3HT Film Fabricated via Epitaxy on an Oriented Polyethylene Film and Solvent Vapor Treatment. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2019; 35:7841-7847. [PMID: 31082249 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b00402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
To improve the epitaxial crystallization ability of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) on a highly oriented polyethylene (PE) substrate, controlled solvent vapor treatment (CSVT) is employed. The anisotropic structures and related optical properties depend not only on the solvent used to prepare the film but also on the subsequent solvent vapor treatment pressure and time. A highly oriented PE film facilitates the "side-on" chain orientation of P3HT with its c axis parallel to the drawing direction of the PE film. The dichroic ratio (DR) of the P3HT film reflected by UV-vis spectra can reach as high as 7.1, which is much larger than the value treated by thermal annealing. Moreover, the excitation bandwidth W, indicating the effective conjugation length and molecular order, shows significant anisotropic features. Solvent used for solution processing with a high boiling point is more favorable for inducing anisotropic multiscale structures. In particular, the oriented structures lead to obvious anisotropic carrier mobility. The carrier mobility of P3HT after CSVT along the PE molecular chain direction is 7.5 times higher than that measured perpendicular to the PE chain direction. This is of great importance in fabricating anisotropic thin films of conjugated polymeric semiconductors with enhanced performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiali Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Materials Science and Engineering , Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Beijing 100029 , China
| | - Meiling Xue
- Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics Ministry of Education , Qingdao University of Science & Technology , Qingdao 266042 , China
| | - Ning Xue
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering , Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Beijing 100029 , China
| | - Huihui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Materials Science and Engineering , Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Beijing 100029 , China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering , Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Beijing 100029 , China
| | - Zhongjie Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Materials Science and Engineering , Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Beijing 100029 , China
| | - Shouke Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Materials Science and Engineering , Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Beijing 100029 , China
- Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics Ministry of Education , Qingdao University of Science & Technology , Qingdao 266042 , China
| | - Xiaoli Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Materials Science and Engineering , Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Beijing 100029 , China
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12
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Chiang YC, Shih CC, Tung SH, Chen WC. Blends of polythiophene nanowire/fluorine rubber with multiscale phase separation suitable for stretchable semiconductors. POLYMER 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2018.09.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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13
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Wu CF, Lo JH, Wang CA, Ruan J. Horizontal Dendritic Stacking of Methanofullerene Single Crystals upon Diffusion-Limited Aggregation. MACROMOL CHEM PHYS 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/macp.201800014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ching-Feng Wu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering; National Cheng Kung University; Tainan 701 Taiwan
| | - Jui-Hsien Lo
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering; National Cheng Kung University; Tainan 701 Taiwan
| | - Chen-An Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering; National Cheng Kung University; Tainan 701 Taiwan
| | - Jrjeng Ruan
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering; National Cheng Kung University; Tainan 701 Taiwan
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14
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Zhang G, Zhao J, Chow PCY, Jiang K, Zhang J, Zhu Z, Zhang J, Huang F, Yan H. Nonfullerene Acceptor Molecules for Bulk Heterojunction Organic Solar Cells. Chem Rev 2018; 118:3447-3507. [PMID: 29557657 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.7b00535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 581] [Impact Index Per Article: 96.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The bulk-heterojunction blend of an electron donor and an electron acceptor material is the key component in a solution-processed organic photovoltaic device. In the past decades, a p-type conjugated polymer and an n-type fullerene derivative have been the most commonly used electron donor and electron acceptor, respectively. While most advances of the device performance come from the design of new polymer donors, fullerene derivatives have almost been exclusively used as electron acceptors in organic photovoltaics. Recently, nonfullerene acceptor materials, particularly small molecules and oligomers, have emerged as a promising alternative to replace fullerene derivatives. Compared to fullerenes, these new acceptors are generally synthesized from diversified, low-cost routes based on building block materials with extraordinary chemical, thermal, and photostability. The facile functionalization of these molecules affords excellent tunability to their optoelectronic and electrochemical properties. Within the past five years, there have been over 100 nonfullerene acceptor molecules synthesized, and the power conversion efficiency of nonfullerene organic solar cells has increased dramatically, from ∼2% in 2012 to >13% in 2017. This review summarizes this progress, aiming to describe the molecular design strategy, to provide insight into the structure-property relationship, and to highlight the challenges the field is facing, with emphasis placed on most recent nonfullerene acceptors that demonstrated top-of-the-line photovoltaic performances. We also provide perspectives from a device point of view, wherein topics including ternary blend device, multijunction device, device stability, active layer morphology, and device physics are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangye Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration & Reconstruction , Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) , Clear Water Bay , Kowloon, Hong Kong , China.,HKUST-Shenzhen Research Institute , No. 9 Yuexing first RD, Hi-tech Park , Nanshan, Shenzhen 518057 , China
| | - Jingbo Zhao
- Department of Chemistry and Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration & Reconstruction , Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) , Clear Water Bay , Kowloon, Hong Kong , China
| | - Philip C Y Chow
- Department of Chemistry and Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration & Reconstruction , Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) , Clear Water Bay , Kowloon, Hong Kong , China.,HKUST-Shenzhen Research Institute , No. 9 Yuexing first RD, Hi-tech Park , Nanshan, Shenzhen 518057 , China
| | - Kui Jiang
- Department of Chemistry and Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration & Reconstruction , Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) , Clear Water Bay , Kowloon, Hong Kong , China.,HKUST-Shenzhen Research Institute , No. 9 Yuexing first RD, Hi-tech Park , Nanshan, Shenzhen 518057 , China
| | - Jianquan Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration & Reconstruction , Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) , Clear Water Bay , Kowloon, Hong Kong , China.,HKUST-Shenzhen Research Institute , No. 9 Yuexing first RD, Hi-tech Park , Nanshan, Shenzhen 518057 , China
| | - Zonglong Zhu
- Department of Chemistry and Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration & Reconstruction , Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) , Clear Water Bay , Kowloon, Hong Kong , China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices , South China University of Technology , Guangzhou 510640 , P. R. China
| | - Fei Huang
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices , South China University of Technology , Guangzhou 510640 , P. R. China
| | - He Yan
- Department of Chemistry and Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration & Reconstruction , Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) , Clear Water Bay , Kowloon, Hong Kong , China.,HKUST-Shenzhen Research Institute , No. 9 Yuexing first RD, Hi-tech Park , Nanshan, Shenzhen 518057 , China.,Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices , South China University of Technology , Guangzhou 510640 , P. R. China
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15
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Seibers ZD, Le TP, Lee Y, Gomez ED, Kilbey SM. Impact of Low Molecular Weight Poly(3-hexylthiophene)s as Additives in Organic Photovoltaic Devices. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2018; 10:2752-2761. [PMID: 29309125 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b13078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Despite tremendous progress in using additives to enhance the power conversion efficiency of organic photovoltaic devices, significant challenges remain in controlling the microstructure of the active layer, such as at internal donor-acceptor interfaces. Here, we demonstrate that the addition of low molecular weight poly(3-hexylthiophene)s (low-MW P3HT) to the P3HT/fullerene active layer increases device performance up to 36% over an unmodified control device. Low MW P3HT chains ranging in size from 1.6 to 8.0 kg/mol are blended with 77.5 kg/mol P3HT chains and [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) fullerenes while keeping P3HT/PCBM ratio constant. Optimal photovoltaic device performance increases are obtained for each additive when incorporated into the bulk heterojunction blend at loading levels that are dependent upon additive MW. Small-angle X-ray scattering and energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy imaging reveal that domain sizes are approximately invariant at low loading levels of the low-MW P3HT additive, and wide-angle X-ray scattering suggests that P3HT crystallinity is unaffected by these additives. These results suggest that oligomeric P3HTs compatibilize donor-acceptor interfaces at low loading levels but coarsen domain structures at higher loading levels and they are consistent with recent simulations results. Although results are specific to the P3HT/PCBM system, the notion that low molecular weight additives can enhance photovoltaic device performance generally provides a new opportunity for improving device performance and operating lifetimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zach D Seibers
- Department of Energy Science & Engineering and ‡Departments of Chemistry and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering University of Tennessee at Knoxville , Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering and ∥Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Thinh P Le
- Department of Energy Science & Engineering and ‡Departments of Chemistry and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering University of Tennessee at Knoxville , Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering and ∥Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Youngmin Lee
- Department of Energy Science & Engineering and ‡Departments of Chemistry and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering University of Tennessee at Knoxville , Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering and ∥Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Enrique D Gomez
- Department of Energy Science & Engineering and ‡Departments of Chemistry and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering University of Tennessee at Knoxville , Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering and ∥Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - S Michael Kilbey
- Department of Energy Science & Engineering and ‡Departments of Chemistry and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering University of Tennessee at Knoxville , Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering and ∥Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
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16
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Istif E, Kagkoura A, Hernandez-Ferrer J, Stergiou A, Skaltsas T, Arenal R, Benito AM, Maser WK, Tagmatarchis N. Self-Assembled Core-Shell CdTe/Poly(3-hexylthiophene) Nanoensembles as Novel Donor-Acceptor Light-Harvesting Systems. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2017; 9:44695-44703. [PMID: 29214807 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b13506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The self-assembly of novel core-shell nanoensembles consisting of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) nanoparticles (P3HTNPs) of 100 nm as core and semiconducting CdTe quantum dots (CdTeQDs) as shell with a thickness of a few tens of nanometers was accomplished by employing a reprecipitation approach. The structure, morphology, and composition of CdTeQDs/P3HTNPs nanoensembles were confirmed by high-resolution scanning transmission microscopy and dynamic light-scattering studies. Intimate interface contact between the CdTeQDs shell and the P3HTNPs core leads to the stabilization of the CdTeQDs/P3HTNPs nanoensemble as probed by the steady-state absorption spectroscopy. Effective quenching of the characteristic photoluminescence of CdTeQDs at 555 nm, accompanied by simultaneous increase in emission of P3HTNPs at 660 and 720 nm, reveals photoinduced charge-transfer processes. Probing the redox properties of films of CdTeQDs/P3HTNPs further proves the formation of a stabilized core-shell system in the solid state. Photoelectrochemical assays on CdTeQDs/P3HTNPs films show a reversible on-off photoresponse at a bias voltage of +0.8 V with a 3 times increased photocurrent compared to CdTeQDs. The improved charge separation is directly related to the unique core-shell configuration, in which the outer CdTeQDs shell forces the P3HTNPs core to effectively act as electron acceptor. The creation of novel donor-acceptor core-shell hybrid materials via self-assembly is transferable to other types of conjugated polymers and semiconducting nanoparticles. This work, therefore, opens new pathways for the design of improved optoelectronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emin Istif
- Instituto de Carboquimica ICB-CSIC , C/Miguel Luesma Castan 4, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Antonia Kagkoura
- Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation , 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, Athens 11635, Greece
| | | | - Anastasios Stergiou
- Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation , 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, Athens 11635, Greece
| | - Theodosis Skaltsas
- Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation , 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, Athens 11635, Greece
| | - Raul Arenal
- Laboratorio de Microscopias Avanzadas, Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragon, Universidad de Zaragoza , 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
- ARAID Foundation , 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Ana M Benito
- Instituto de Carboquimica ICB-CSIC , C/Miguel Luesma Castan 4, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Wolfgang K Maser
- Instituto de Carboquimica ICB-CSIC , C/Miguel Luesma Castan 4, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Nikos Tagmatarchis
- Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation , 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, Athens 11635, Greece
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17
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Zhou K, Zhao Q, Zhang R, Cao X, Yu X, Liu J, Han Y. Decreased domain size of p-DTS(FBTTh 2) 2/P(NDI2OD-T2) blend films due to their different solution aggregation behavior at different temperatures. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2017; 19:32373-32380. [PMID: 29184937 DOI: 10.1039/c7cp07084e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Nanoscale interpenetrating networks play a key role in determining the optoelectrical properties of functional blends. However, phase separated large domain sizes could probably be observed in pristine films composed of two crystalline components. For example, p-DTS(FBTTh2)2/P(NDI2OD-T2) 3/2 blend films with interpenetrating networks are obtained, however, large domain sizes are found when they are prepared from a 20 °C solution due to the simultaneous process of crystallization and phase separation during solvent evaporation. In this paper, we proposed to reduce the domain size of p-DTS(FBTTh2)2/P(NDI2OD-T2) blend films using their different solution aggregation behaviors at different temperatures. The aggregation of p-DTS(FBTTh2)2 molecules in chlorobenzene (CB) was insensitive to the solution temperature. However, the in situ absorption spectra of the neat P(NDI2OD-T2) solution from 80 °C to room temperature indicated that P(NDI2OD-T2) aggregation increased with decreasing temperature due to intrachain interactions. Therefore, in order to reduce the domain size, we employed a hot solution to prepare the blend films. During the solidification process, the majority of p-DTS(FBTTh2)2 molecules were confined in the P(NDI2OD-T2) networks prior to occurrence of severe p-DTS(FBTTh2)2 aggregation. Thus, the domain size of the p-DTS(FBTTh2)2 phase became smaller than that of the pristine films, leading to a decrease in the corresponding photoluminescence intensity of the blend films. In addition, the crystallinity of the blend films improved after thermal annealing, which resulted from the ordered alignment of p-DTS(FBTTh2)2 molecules facilitated by their enhanced diffusion ability. Based on the various morphologies, a possible phase diagram of the p-DTS(FBTTh2)2/P(NDI2OD-T2) blend system was depicted, which could be a guide to directly control the morphology of blend films.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 5625 Renmin Street, Changchun 130022, P. R. China.
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18
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Mulderig AJ, Jin Y, Yu F, Keum J, Hong K, Browning JF, Beaucage G, Smith GS, Kuppa VK. Determination of active layer morphology in all-polymer photovoltaic cells. J Appl Crystallogr 2017. [DOI: 10.1107/s1600576717010457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigates the structure of films spin-coated from blends of the semiconducting polymers poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) and poly{2,6-[4,4-bis-(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b;3,4-b′]dithiophene]-alt-4,7(2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)} (PCPDTBT). Such blends are of potential use in all-polymer solar cells in which both the acceptor and the donor material generate excitons to contribute to the photocurrent. Prompted by threefold performance gains seen in polymer/fullerene and polymer blend solar cells upon addition of pristine graphene, devices are prepared from P3HT/PCPDTBT blends both with and without graphene. This report focuses on the morphology of the active layer since this is of critical importance in determining performance. Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) is utilized to study this polymer blend with deuterated P3HT to provide contrast and permit the investigation of buried structure in neat and graphene-doped films. SANS reveals the presence of P3HT crystallites dispersed in an amorphous blend matrix of P3HT and PCPDTBT. The crystallites are approximately disc shaped and do not show any evidence of higher-order structure or aggregation. While the structure of the films does not change with the addition of graphene, there is a perceptible effect on the electronic properties and energy conversion efficiency in solar cells made from such films. Determination of the active layer morphology yields crucial insight into structure–property relationships in organic photovoltaic devices.
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19
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Feng S, Yang Y, Li L, Zhang D, Yang X, Xia H, Yan L, Tsang DKL, Huai P, Zhou X. High temperature in-situ synchrotron-based XRD study on the crystal structure evolution of C/C composite impregnated by FLiNaK molten salt. Sci Rep 2017; 7:10673. [PMID: 28878406 PMCID: PMC5587704 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11033-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
An in-situ real-time synchrotron-based grazing incidence X-ray diffraction was systematically used to investigate the crystal structural evolution of carbon fiber reinforced carbon matrix (C/C) composite impregnated with FLiNaK molten salt during the heat-treatment process. It was found that the crystallographic thermal expansion and contraction rate of interlayer spacing d002 in C/C composite with FLiNaK salt impregnation is smaller than that in the virgin sample, indicating the suppression on interlayer spacing from FLiNaK salt impregnated. Meanwhile the crystallite size LC002 of C/C composite with FLiNaK salt impregnation is larger than the virgin one after whole heat treatment process, indicating that FLiNaK salt impregnation could facilitate the crystallization of C/C composite after heat treatment process. This improved crystallization in C/C composite with FLiNaK salt impregnation suggests the synthetic action of the salt squeeze effect on crooked carbon layer and the release of internal residual stress after heating-cooling process. Thus, the present study not only contribute to reveal the interaction mechanism between C/C composite and FLiNaK salt in high temperature environment, but also promote the design of safer and more reliable C/C composite materials for the next generation molten salt reactor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanglei Feng
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2019 Jialuo Road, Shanghai, 201800, China. .,Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 239 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai, 201204, China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Yingguo Yang
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2019 Jialuo Road, Shanghai, 201800, China.,Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 239 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai, 201204, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Li Li
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2019 Jialuo Road, Shanghai, 201800, China.,Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 239 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai, 201204, China
| | - Dongsheng Zhang
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2019 Jialuo Road, Shanghai, 201800, China
| | - Xinmei Yang
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2019 Jialuo Road, Shanghai, 201800, China
| | - Huihao Xia
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2019 Jialuo Road, Shanghai, 201800, China.
| | - Long Yan
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2019 Jialuo Road, Shanghai, 201800, China
| | - Derek K L Tsang
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2019 Jialuo Road, Shanghai, 201800, China
| | - Ping Huai
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2019 Jialuo Road, Shanghai, 201800, China
| | - Xingtai Zhou
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2019 Jialuo Road, Shanghai, 201800, China.
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20
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Cheng XF, Hou X, Qian WH, He JH, Xu QF, Li H, Li NJ, Chen DY, Lu JM. Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-Poly(styrenesulfonate) Interlayer Insertion Enables Organic Quaternary Memory. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2017; 9:27847-27852. [PMID: 28777544 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b06810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Herein, for the first time, quaternary resistive memory based on an organic molecule is achieved via surface engineering. A layer of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT-PSS) was inserted between the indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode and the organic layer (squaraine, SA-Bu) to form an ITO/PEDOT-PSS/SA-Bu/Al architecture. The modified resistive random-access memory (RRAM) devices achieve quaternary memory switching with the highest yield (∼41%) to date. Surface morphology, crystallinity, and mosaicity of the deposited organic grains are greatly improved after insertion of a PEDOT-PSS interlayer, which provides better contacts at the grain boundaries as well as the electrode/active layer interface. The PEDOT-PSS interlayer also reduces the hole injection barrier from the electrode to the active layer. Thus, the threshold voltage of each switching is greatly reduced, allowing for more quaternary switching in a certain voltage window. Our results provide a simple yet powerful strategy as an alternative to molecular design to achieve organic quaternary resistive memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Feng Cheng
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, National United Engineering Laboratory of Functionalized Environmental Adsorption Materials, Soochow University , Suzhou 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiang Hou
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, National United Engineering Laboratory of Functionalized Environmental Adsorption Materials, Soochow University , Suzhou 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-Hu Qian
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, National United Engineering Laboratory of Functionalized Environmental Adsorption Materials, Soochow University , Suzhou 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing-Hui He
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, National United Engineering Laboratory of Functionalized Environmental Adsorption Materials, Soochow University , Suzhou 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Qing-Feng Xu
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, National United Engineering Laboratory of Functionalized Environmental Adsorption Materials, Soochow University , Suzhou 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Hua Li
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, National United Engineering Laboratory of Functionalized Environmental Adsorption Materials, Soochow University , Suzhou 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Na-Jun Li
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, National United Engineering Laboratory of Functionalized Environmental Adsorption Materials, Soochow University , Suzhou 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Dong-Yun Chen
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, National United Engineering Laboratory of Functionalized Environmental Adsorption Materials, Soochow University , Suzhou 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian-Mei Lu
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, National United Engineering Laboratory of Functionalized Environmental Adsorption Materials, Soochow University , Suzhou 215123, People's Republic of China
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21
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Li H, Yang Z, Pan C, Jiang N, Satija SK, Xu D, Gersappe D, Nam CY, Rafailovich MH. A new strategy to engineer polymer bulk heterojunction solar cells with thick active layers via self-assembly of the tertiary columnar phase. NANOSCALE 2017; 9:11511-11522. [PMID: 28766650 DOI: 10.1039/c7nr03789a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
We report that the addition of a non-photoactive tertiary polymer phase in the binary bulk heterojunction (BHJ) polymer solar cell leads to a self-assembled columnar nanostructure, enhancing the charge mobilities and photovoltaic efficiency with surprisingly increased optimal active blend thicknesses over 300 nm, 3-4 times larger than that of the binary counterpart. Using the prototypical poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT):fullerene blend as a model BHJ system, we discover that the inert poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) added in the binary BHJ blend self-assembles into vertical columns, which not only template the phase segregation of electron acceptor fullerenes but also induce the out-of-plane rotation of the edge-on-orientated crystalline P3HT phase. Using complementary interrogation methods including neutron reflectivity, X-ray scattering, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and molecular dynamics simulations, we show that the enhanced charge transport originates from the more randomized molecular stacking of the P3HT phase and the spontaneous segregation of fullerenes at the P3HT/PMMA interface, driven by the high surface tension between the two polymeric components. The results demonstrate a potential method for increasing the thicknesses of high-performance polymer BHJ solar cells with improved photovoltaic efficiency, alleviating the burden of stringently controlling the ultrathin blend thickness during the roll-to-roll-type large-area manufacturing environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongfei Li
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA.
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22
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Griffin MP, Gearba R, Stevenson KJ, Vanden Bout DA, Dolocan A. Revealing the Chemistry and Morphology of Buried Donor/Acceptor Interfaces in Organic Photovoltaics. J Phys Chem Lett 2017; 8:2764-2773. [PMID: 28562044 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.7b00911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
With power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of <13% and plagued by stability issues, organic photovoltaics (OPVs) still lack wide adoption, despite significant recent advances. Currently, the most progress in OPV device performance is achieved by "trial-and-error" preparation procedures that lead to complex and largely unknown-despite tremendous analytical efforts-morphologies. Here, we demonstrate a proof-of-principle, chemical imaging methodology that combines experimental high spatial sensitivity and chemical selectivity with theoretical modeling, capable of analyzing the three-dimensional composition and morphology of virtually any device. Allowing the precise measurement of composition and direct visualization of film morphology with depth, our approach reveals the intricate buried donor/acceptor (D/A) interface of a model polymer/fullerene system, poly(3-hexylthiphene-2,5-diyl)/[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT/PCBM). In particular, our technique is able to identify and quantify the D/A interface length, that is, the extent of molecular mixing at the D/A interface, a parameter crucial for device performance, yet never measured. Extracting this parameter allows demonstrating that, contrary to the general understanding, when starting with a fully mixed D/A phase in our model system, thermal annealing, which is known to substantially (however limited) increase the device performance by phase segregation, does not create but small amounts of pure phases, leaving the device mostly mixed, which limits the performance improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Keith J Stevenson
- Center for Electrochemical Energy Storage, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology , Moscow 14306, Russia
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23
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Nakano K, Tajima K. Organic Planar Heterojunctions: From Models for Interfaces in Bulk Heterojunctions to High-Performance Solar Cells. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2017; 29:1603269. [PMID: 27885716 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201603269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2016] [Revised: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Recent progress regarding planar heterojunctions (PHJs) is reviewed, with respect to the fundamental understanding of the photophysical processes at the donor/acceptor interfaces in organic photovoltaic devices (OPVs). The current state of OPV research is summarized and the advantages of PHJs as models for exploring the relationship between organic interfaces and device characteristics described. The preparation methods and the characterization of PHJ structures to provide key points for the appropriate handling of PHJs. Next, we describe the effects of the donor/acceptor interface on each photoelectric conversion process are reviewed by examining various PHJ systems to clarify what is currently known and not known. Finally, it is discussed how we the knowledge obtained by studies of PHJs can be used to overcome the current limits of OPV efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyohei Nakano
- RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS), 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Keisuke Tajima
- RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS), 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
- Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO), Japan Science and Technology Agency, 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama, 332-0012, Japan
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24
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Janasz L, Luczak A, Marszalek T, Dupont BGR, Jung J, Ulanski J, Pisula W. Balanced Ambipolar Organic Field-Effect Transistors by Polymer Preaggregation. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2017; 9:20696-20703. [PMID: 28560870 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b03399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Ambipolar organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) based on heterojunction active films still suffer from an imbalance in the transport of electrons and holes. This problem is related to an uncontrolled phase separation between the donor and acceptor organic semiconductors in the thin films. In this work, we have developed a concept to improve the phase separation in heterojunction transistors to enhance their ambipolar performance. This concept is based on preaggregation of the donor polymer, in this case poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), before solution mixing with the small-molecular-weight acceptor, phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). The resulting heterojunction transistor morphology consists of self-assembled P3HT fibers embedded in a PCBM matrix, ensuring balanced mobilities reaching 0.01 cm2/V s for both holes and electrons. These are the highest mobility values reported so far for ambipolar OFETs based on P3HT/PCBM blends. Preaggregation of the conjugated polymer before fabricating binary blends can be regarded as a general concept for a wider range of semiconducting systems applicable in organic electronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukasz Janasz
- Department of Molecular Physics, Faculty of Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology , Zeromskiego 116, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
| | - Adam Luczak
- Department of Molecular Physics, Faculty of Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology , Zeromskiego 116, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
| | - Tomasz Marszalek
- Organisch-Chemisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg , 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- InnovationLab , Speyererstr. 4, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Bertrand G R Dupont
- Department of Molecular Physics, Faculty of Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology , Zeromskiego 116, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
| | - Jaroslaw Jung
- Department of Molecular Physics, Faculty of Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology , Zeromskiego 116, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
| | - Jacek Ulanski
- Department of Molecular Physics, Faculty of Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology , Zeromskiego 116, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
| | - Wojciech Pisula
- Department of Molecular Physics, Faculty of Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology , Zeromskiego 116, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research , Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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25
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Chen P, Nakano K, Suzuki K, Hashimoto K, Kikitsu T, Hashizume D, Koganezawa T, Tajima K. Organic Solar Cells with Controlled Nanostructures Based on Microphase Separation of Fullerene-Attached Thiophene-Selenophene Heteroblock Copolymers. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2017; 9:4758-4768. [PMID: 28094499 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b14629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Heteroblock copolymers consisting of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and fullerene-attached poly(3-alkylselenophene) (T-b-Se-PCBP) were synthesized for organic photovoltaic applications by quasi-living catalyst transfer polycondensation and subsequent conversion reactions. Characterization of the polymers confirmed the formation of well-defined diblock structures with high loading of the fullerene at the side chain (∼40 wt %). Heteroblock copolymer cast as a thin film showed a clear microphase-separated nanostructure approximately 30 nm in repeating unit after thermal annealing, which is identical to the microphase-separated nanostructure of diblock copolymer consisting of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and fullerene-attached poly(3-alkylthiophene) (T-b-T-PCBP). These heteroblock copolymers provide an ideal platform for investigating the effects of nanostructures and interfacial energetics on the performance of organic photovoltaic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peihong Chen
- RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS) , 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo , 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Kyohei Nakano
- RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS) , 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Kaori Suzuki
- RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS) , 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Kazuhito Hashimoto
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo , 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Tomoka Kikitsu
- RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS) , 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Daisuke Hashizume
- RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS) , 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Koganezawa
- Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI) , SPring-8, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5198, Japan
| | - Keisuke Tajima
- RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS) , 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO), Japan Science and Technology Agency , 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
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26
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Feenstra J, van Eerden M, Lemmens AK, de Poel W, Kouwer PHJ, Rowan AE, Schermer JJ. Muscovite mica as a growth template of PC61BM crystallites for organic photovoltaics. CrystEngComm 2017. [DOI: 10.1039/c6ce02492k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The processing conditions for and (local) performance benefits of epitaxially crystallized PC61BM for organic solar cells are investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Feenstra
- Radboud University
- Institute for Molecules and Materials
- 6525 AJ Nijmegen
- the Netherlands
- DNV GL
| | - Maarten van Eerden
- Radboud University
- Institute for Molecules and Materials
- 6525 AJ Nijmegen
- the Netherlands
| | - Alexander K. Lemmens
- Radboud University
- Institute for Molecules and Materials
- 6525 AJ Nijmegen
- the Netherlands
| | - Wester de Poel
- Radboud University
- Institute for Molecules and Materials
- 6525 AJ Nijmegen
- the Netherlands
| | - Paul H. J. Kouwer
- Radboud University
- Institute for Molecules and Materials
- 6525 AJ Nijmegen
- the Netherlands
| | - Alan E. Rowan
- Radboud University
- Institute for Molecules and Materials
- 6525 AJ Nijmegen
- the Netherlands
- University of Queensland
| | - John J. Schermer
- Radboud University
- Institute for Molecules and Materials
- 6525 AJ Nijmegen
- the Netherlands
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27
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Schwartzkopf M, Roth SV. Investigating Polymer-Metal Interfaces by Grazing Incidence Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering from Gradients to Real-Time Studies. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2016; 6:E239. [PMID: 28335367 PMCID: PMC5302712 DOI: 10.3390/nano6120239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Revised: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Tailoring the polymer-metal interface is crucial for advanced material design. Vacuum deposition methods for metal layer coating are widely used in industry and research. They allow for installing a variety of nanostructures, often making use of the selective interaction of the metal atoms with the underlying polymer thin film. The polymer thin film may eventually be nanostructured, too, in order to create a hierarchy in length scales. Grazing incidence X-ray scattering is an advanced method to characterize and investigate polymer-metal interfaces. Being non-destructive and yielding statistically relevant results, it allows for deducing the detailed polymer-metal interaction. We review the use of grazing incidence X-ray scattering to elucidate the polymer-metal interface, making use of the modern synchrotron radiation facilities, allowing for very local studies via in situ (so-called "stop-sputter") experiments as well as studies observing the nanostructured metal nanoparticle layer growth in real time.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephan V Roth
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Notkestraße 85, D-22607 Hamburg, Germany.
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Fibre and Polymer Technology, Teknikringen 56-58, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden.
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28
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Solanki A, Bagui A, Long G, Wu B, Salim T, Chen Y, Lam YM, Sum TC. Effectiveness of External Electric Field Treatment of Conjugated Polymers in Bulk-Heterojunction Solar Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2016; 8:32282-32291. [PMID: 27618844 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b08012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
External electric field treatment (EFT) on P3HT:PCBM bulk heterojunction (BHJ) devices was recently found to be a viable approach for improving the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) through modulating the blend nanomorphology. However, its effectiveness over the broad family of polymer-fullerene blends remains unclear. Herein, we investigate the effects of external EFT on various polymer-fullerene blends with distinct morphologies stemming from the difference in molecular structure of the polymers (i.e., semicrystalline vs amorphous) in a bid to establish a clear morphology-function-charge dynamics relationship to the photovoltaic performance. Our findings reveal that EFT promotes self-organization of the semicrystalline thiophene-based conjugated polymers (i.e., P3HT and P3BT) while it was ineffective for the amorphous polymers (i.e., PTB7 and PCPDTBT) even at the maximum applied E-field of 8 kV cm-1. Transient absorption spectroscopy shows an improvement in the initial charge-carrier and polaron formation from delocalized excitons in the E-field treated semicrystalline blends compared to their untreated reference samples. Interfacial trap-assisted monomolecular and trap-free bimolecular recombination at nanosecond-microsecond time scale in the E-field treated P3BT:PC60BM devices are significantly suppressed. Importantly, our findings shed new light and provide guidelines on the effectiveness of utilizing external EFT to enhance the PCEs of a larger family of conjugated polymer-based BHJ OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankur Solanki
- Division of Physics and Applied Physics, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University , 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore 637371
| | - Anirban Bagui
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur , Kanpur 208016, India
| | - Guankui Long
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin) , Tianjin 300071, China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nankai University , Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Bo Wu
- Division of Physics and Applied Physics, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University , 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore 637371
| | - Teddy Salim
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University , 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798
| | - Yongsheng Chen
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin) , Tianjin 300071, China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nankai University , Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Yeng Ming Lam
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University , 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798
- Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N) , 1 CleanTech Loop, #06-04 CleanTech One, Singapore 637141
| | - Tze Chien Sum
- Division of Physics and Applied Physics, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University , 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore 637371
- Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N) , 1 CleanTech Loop, #06-04 CleanTech One, Singapore 637141
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29
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Cui J, Rodríguez-Rodríguez Á, Hernández M, García-Gutiérrez MC, Nogales A, Castillejo M, Moseguí González D, Müller-Buschbaum P, Ezquerra TA, Rebollar E. Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures on P3HT and on Its Photovoltaic Blend with PC 71BM. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2016; 8:31894-31901. [PMID: 27805362 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b09053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
We describe the conditions for optimal formation of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) over poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) spin-coated films. Optimal LIPSS on P3HT are observed within a particular range of thicknesses and laser fluences. These conditions can be translated to the photovoltaic blend formed by the 1:1 mixture of P3HT and [6,6]-phenyl C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) when deposited on an indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode coated with (poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). Solar cells formed by using either a bilayer of P3HT structured by LIPSS covered by PC71BM or a bulk heterojunction with a P3HT:PC71BM blend structured by LIPSS exhibit generation of electrical photocurrent under light illumination. These results suggest that LIPSS could be a compatible technology with organic photovoltaic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Cui
- Instituto de Estructura de la Materia (IEM-CSIC) , Serrano 121, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Margarita Hernández
- Instituto de Estructura de la Materia (IEM-CSIC) , Serrano 121, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Aurora Nogales
- Instituto de Estructura de la Materia (IEM-CSIC) , Serrano 121, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Castillejo
- Instituto de Química Física Rocasolano (IQFR-CSIC) , Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Moseguí González
- Lehrstuhl für Funktionelle Materialien, Physik-Department, Technische Universität München , James-Franck-Strasse 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Peter Müller-Buschbaum
- Lehrstuhl für Funktionelle Materialien, Physik-Department, Technische Universität München , James-Franck-Strasse 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Tiberio A Ezquerra
- Instituto de Estructura de la Materia (IEM-CSIC) , Serrano 121, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Esther Rebollar
- Instituto de Química Física Rocasolano (IQFR-CSIC) , Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain
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30
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Jiang N, Sendogdular L, Sen M, Endoh MK, Koga T, Fukuto M, Akgun B, Satija SK, Nam CY. Novel Effects of Compressed CO 2 Molecules on Structural Ordering and Charge Transport in Conjugated Poly(3-hexylthiophene) Thin Films. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2016; 32:10851-10860. [PMID: 27709955 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b03239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
We report the effects of compressed CO2 molecules as a novel plasticization agent for poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)-conjugated polymer thin films. In situ neutron reflectivity experiments demonstrated the excess sorption of CO2 molecules in the P3HT thin films (about 40 nm in thickness) at low pressure (P = 8.2 MPa) under the isothermal condition of T = 36 °C, which is far below the polymer bulk melting point. The results proved that these CO2 molecules accelerated the crystallization process of the polymer on the basis of ex situ grazing incidence X-ray diffraction measurements after drying the films via rapid depressurization to atmospheric pressure: both the out-of-plane lamellar ordering of the backbone chains and the intraplane π-π stacking of the side chains were significantly improved, when compared with those in the control P3HT films subjected to conventional thermal annealing (at T = 170 °C). Electrical measurements elucidated that the CO2-annealed P3HT thin films exhibited enhanced charge carrier mobility along with decreased background charge carrier concentration and trap density compared with those in the thermally annealed counterpart. This is attributed to the CO2-induced increase in polymer chain mobility that can drive the detrapping of molecular oxygen and healing of conformational defects in the polymer thin film. Given the universality of the excess sorption of CO2 regardless of the type of polymers, the present findings suggest that CO2 annealing near the critical point can be useful as a robust processing strategy for improving the structural and electrical characteristics of other semiconducting conjugated polymers and related systems such as polymer:fullerene bulk heterojunction films.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naisheng Jiang
- Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Stony Brook University , Stony Brook, New York 11794-2275, United States
| | - Levent Sendogdular
- Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Stony Brook University , Stony Brook, New York 11794-2275, United States
| | - Mani Sen
- Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Stony Brook University , Stony Brook, New York 11794-2275, United States
| | - Maya K Endoh
- Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Stony Brook University , Stony Brook, New York 11794-2275, United States
| | - Tadanori Koga
- Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Stony Brook University , Stony Brook, New York 11794-2275, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University , Stony Brook, New York 11794-3400, United States
| | - Masafumi Fukuto
- National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory , Upton, New York 11973, United States
| | - Bulent Akgun
- Department of Chemistry, Bogazici University , Bebek, Istanbul 34342, Turkey
| | - Sushil K Satija
- Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology , Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States
| | - Chang-Yong Nam
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory , Upton, New York 11973-5000, United States
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31
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Roth SV. A deep look into the spray coating process in real-time-the crucial role of x-rays. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2016; 28:403003. [PMID: 27537198 DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/28/40/403003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Tailoring functional thin films and coating by rapid solvent-based processes is the basis for the fabrication of large scale high-end applications in nanotechnology. Due to solvent loss of the solution or dispersion inherent in the installation of functional thin films and multilayers the spraying and drying processes are strongly governed by non-equilibrium kinetics, often passing through transient states, until the final structure is installed. Therefore, the challenge is to observe the structural build-up during these coating processes in a spatially and time-resolved manner on multiple time and length scales, from the nanostructure to macroscopic length scales. During installation, the interaction of solid-fluid interfaces and between the different layers, the flow and evaporation themselves determine the structure of the coating. Advanced x-ray scattering methods open a powerful pathway for observing the involved processes in situ, from the spray to the coating, and allow for gaining deep insight in the nanostructuring processes. This review first provides an overview over these rapidly evolving methods, with main focus on functional coatings, organic photovoltaics and organic electronics. Secondly the role and decisive advantage of x-rays is outlined. Thirdly, focusing on spray deposition as a rapidly emerging method, recent advances in investigations of spray deposition of functional materials and devices via advanced x-ray scattering methods are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan V Roth
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Notkestr. 85, D-22607 Hamburg, Germany. Department of Fibre and Polymer Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 56-58, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
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32
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Reichenberger M, Baderschneider S, Kroh D, Grauf S, Köhler J, Hildner R, Köhler A. Watching Paint Dry: The Impact of Diiodooctane on the Kinetics of Aggregate Formation in Thin Films of Poly(3-hexylthiophene). Macromolecules 2016. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.6b01257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Daniel Kroh
- Experimental
Physics II, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Steffen Grauf
- Experimental
Physics II, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Jürgen Köhler
- Experimental
Physics IV, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth
Institute of Macromolecular Research (BIMF), University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Richard Hildner
- Experimental
Physics IV, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Anna Köhler
- Experimental
Physics II, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth
Institute of Macromolecular Research (BIMF), University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
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33
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Lombeck F, Sepe A, Thomann R, Friend RH, Sommer M. Compatibilization of All-Conjugated Polymer Blends for Organic Photovoltaics. ACS NANO 2016; 10:8087-8096. [PMID: 27482842 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.6b04244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Compatibilization of an immiscible binary blend comprising a conjugated electron donor and a conjugated electron acceptor polymer with suitable electronic properties upon addition of a block copolymer (BCP) composed of the same building blocks is demonstrated. Efficient compatibilization during melt-annealing is feasible when the two polymers are immiscible in the melt, i.e. above the melting point of ∼250 °C of the semicrystalline donor polymer P3HT. To generate immiscibility at these high temperatures, the acceptor polymer PCDTBT is equipped with fluorinated side chains leading to an increased Flory-Huggins interaction parameter. Compatibilization in bulk and thin films is demonstrated, showing that the photovoltaic performance of pristine microphase separated and nanostructured BCPs can also be obtained for compatibilized blend films containing low contents of 10-20 wt % BCP. Thermodynamically stable domain sizes range between several tens of microns for pure blends and ∼10 nm for pure block copolymers. In addition to controlling domain size, the amount of block copolymer added dictates the ratio of edge-on and face-on P3HT crystals, with compatibilized films showing an increasing amount of face-on P3HT crystals with increasing amount of compatibilizer. This study demonstrates the prerequisites and benefits of compatibilizing all-conjugated semicrystalline polymer blends for organic photovoltaics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Lombeck
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge , 19 J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom
- Makromolekulare Chemie, Universität Freiburg , Stefan-Meier-Straße 31, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Alessandro Sepe
- Adolphe Merkle Institute , Chemin des Verdiers 4, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Ralf Thomann
- Freiburger Materialforschungszentrum, Stefan-Meier-Straße 21, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Richard H Friend
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge , 19 J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Sommer
- Makromolekulare Chemie, Universität Freiburg , Stefan-Meier-Straße 31, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburger Materialforschungszentrum, Stefan-Meier-Straße 21, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- FIT, Freiburger Zentrum für interaktive Werkstoffe und bioinspirierte Technologien, Georges-Köhler-Allee 105, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
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34
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Chandrasekaran N, Gann E, Jain N, Kumar A, Gopinathan S, Sadhanala A, Friend RH, Kumar A, McNeill CR, Kabra D. Correlation between Photovoltaic Performance and Interchain Ordering Induced Delocalization of Electronics States in Conjugated Polymer Blends. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2016; 8:20243-20250. [PMID: 27415029 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b05541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In this paper we correlate the solar cell performance with bimolecular packing of donor:acceptor bulk heterojunction (BHJ) organic solar cells (OSCs), where interchain ordering of the donor molecule and its influence on morphology, optical properties, and charge carrier dynamics of BHJ solar cells are studied in detail. Solar cells that are fabricated using more ordered defect free 100% regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (DF-P3HT) as the donor polymer show ca. 10% increase in the average power conversion efficiency (PCE) when compared to that of the solar cell fabricated using 92% regioregularity P3HT, referred to as rr-P3HT. EQE and UV-vis absorption spectrum show a clear increase in the 607 nm vibronic shoulder of the DF-P3HT blend suggesting better interchain ordering which was also reflected in the less Urbach energy (Eu) value for this system. The increase in ordering inside the blend has enhanced the hole-mobility which is calculated from the single carrier device J-V characteristics. Electroluminance (EL) studies on the DF-P3HT system showed a red-shifted peak when compared to rr-P3HT-based devices suggesting low CT energy states in DF-P3HT. The morphologies of the blend films are studied using AFM and grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) suggesting increase in the roughness and phase segregation which could enhance the internal scattering of the light inside the device and improvement in the crystallinity along alkyl and π-stacking direction. Hence, higher PCE, lower Eu, red-shifted EL emission, high hole-mobility, and better crystallinity suggest improved interchain ordering has facilitated a more delocalized HOMO state in DF-P3HT-based BHJ solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naresh Chandrasekaran
- IITB-Monash Research Academy, IIT Bombay , Mumbai 400076, India
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay , Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University , Wellington Road, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Eliot Gann
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University , Wellington Road, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- Australian Synchrotron , 800 Blackburn Road, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia
| | - Nakul Jain
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay , Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - Anshu Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay , Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - Sreelekha Gopinathan
- Centre for Research in Nanotechnology & Science, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay , Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - Aditya Sadhanala
- Optoelectronics Group, Cavendish Laoratory, University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom
| | - Richard H Friend
- Optoelectronics Group, Cavendish Laoratory, University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom
| | - Anil Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay , Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - Christopher R McNeill
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University , Wellington Road, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Dinesh Kabra
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay , Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
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35
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Carrillo JMY, Seibers Z, Kumar R, Matheson MA, Ankner JF, Goswami M, Bhaskaran-Nair K, Shelton WA, Sumpter BG, Kilbey SM. Petascale Simulations of the Morphology and the Molecular Interface of Bulk Heterojunctions. ACS NANO 2016; 10:7008-22. [PMID: 27299676 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.6b03009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how additives interact and segregate within bulk heterojunction (BHJ) thin films is critical for exercising control over structure at multiple length scales and delivering improvements in photovoltaic performance. The morphological evolution of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) blends that are commensurate with the size of a BHJ thin film is examined using petascale coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. Comparisons between two-component and three-component systems containing short P3HT chains as additives undergoing thermal annealing demonstrate that the short chains alter the morphology in apparently useful ways: they efficiently migrate to the P3HT/PCBM interface, increasing the P3HT domain size and interfacial area. Simulation results agree with depth profiles determined from neutron reflectometry measurements that reveal PCBM enrichment near substrate and air interfaces but a decrease in that PCBM enrichment when a small amount of short P3HT chains are integrated into the BHJ blend. Atomistic simulations of the P3HT/PCBM blend interfaces show a nonmonotonic dependence of the interfacial thickness as a function of number of repeat units in the oligomeric P3HT additive, and the thiophene rings orient parallel to the interfacial plane as they approach the PCBM domain. Using the nanoscale geometries of the P3HT oligomers, LUMO and HOMO energy levels calculated by density functional theory are found to be invariant across the donor/acceptor interface. These connections between additives, processing, and morphology at all length scales are generally useful for efforts to improve device performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan-Michael Y Carrillo
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, ‡Computer Science and Mathematics Division, §National Center for Computational Sciences, and ∥Spallation Neutron Source, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
- Department of Energy Science and Engineering and @Departments of Chemistry and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee , Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
- Center for Computation and Technology and #Cain Department of Chemical Engineering Louisiana State University , Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, United States
| | - Zach Seibers
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, ‡Computer Science and Mathematics Division, §National Center for Computational Sciences, and ∥Spallation Neutron Source, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
- Department of Energy Science and Engineering and @Departments of Chemistry and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee , Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
- Center for Computation and Technology and #Cain Department of Chemical Engineering Louisiana State University , Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, United States
| | - Rajeev Kumar
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, ‡Computer Science and Mathematics Division, §National Center for Computational Sciences, and ∥Spallation Neutron Source, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
- Department of Energy Science and Engineering and @Departments of Chemistry and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee , Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
- Center for Computation and Technology and #Cain Department of Chemical Engineering Louisiana State University , Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, United States
| | - Michael A Matheson
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, ‡Computer Science and Mathematics Division, §National Center for Computational Sciences, and ∥Spallation Neutron Source, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
- Department of Energy Science and Engineering and @Departments of Chemistry and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee , Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
- Center for Computation and Technology and #Cain Department of Chemical Engineering Louisiana State University , Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, United States
| | - John F Ankner
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, ‡Computer Science and Mathematics Division, §National Center for Computational Sciences, and ∥Spallation Neutron Source, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
- Department of Energy Science and Engineering and @Departments of Chemistry and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee , Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
- Center for Computation and Technology and #Cain Department of Chemical Engineering Louisiana State University , Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, United States
| | - Monojoy Goswami
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, ‡Computer Science and Mathematics Division, §National Center for Computational Sciences, and ∥Spallation Neutron Source, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
- Department of Energy Science and Engineering and @Departments of Chemistry and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee , Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
- Center for Computation and Technology and #Cain Department of Chemical Engineering Louisiana State University , Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, United States
| | - Kiran Bhaskaran-Nair
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, ‡Computer Science and Mathematics Division, §National Center for Computational Sciences, and ∥Spallation Neutron Source, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
- Department of Energy Science and Engineering and @Departments of Chemistry and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee , Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
- Center for Computation and Technology and #Cain Department of Chemical Engineering Louisiana State University , Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, United States
| | - William A Shelton
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, ‡Computer Science and Mathematics Division, §National Center for Computational Sciences, and ∥Spallation Neutron Source, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
- Department of Energy Science and Engineering and @Departments of Chemistry and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee , Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
- Center for Computation and Technology and #Cain Department of Chemical Engineering Louisiana State University , Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, United States
| | - Bobby G Sumpter
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, ‡Computer Science and Mathematics Division, §National Center for Computational Sciences, and ∥Spallation Neutron Source, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
- Department of Energy Science and Engineering and @Departments of Chemistry and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee , Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
- Center for Computation and Technology and #Cain Department of Chemical Engineering Louisiana State University , Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, United States
| | - S Michael Kilbey
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, ‡Computer Science and Mathematics Division, §National Center for Computational Sciences, and ∥Spallation Neutron Source, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
- Department of Energy Science and Engineering and @Departments of Chemistry and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee , Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
- Center for Computation and Technology and #Cain Department of Chemical Engineering Louisiana State University , Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, United States
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36
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Stoltzfus DM, Clulow AJ, Jin H, Burn PL, Gentle IR. Impact of Dimerization on Phase Separation and Crystallinity in Bulk Heterojunction Films Containing Non-Fullerene Acceptors. Macromolecules 2016. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.6b00984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Dani M. Stoltzfus
- Centre for Organic Photonics & Electronics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Andrew J. Clulow
- Centre for Organic Photonics & Electronics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Hui Jin
- Centre for Organic Photonics & Electronics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Paul L. Burn
- Centre for Organic Photonics & Electronics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Ian R. Gentle
- Centre for Organic Photonics & Electronics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
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37
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Kobryn AE, Gusarov S, Shankar K. The Effect of Molecular Structure and Environment on the Miscibility and Diffusivity in Polythiophene-Methanofullerene Bulk Heterojunctions: Theory and Modeling with the RISM Approach. Polymers (Basel) 2016; 8:polym8040136. [PMID: 30979225 PMCID: PMC6432195 DOI: 10.3390/polym8040136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 03/28/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Although better means to model the properties of bulk heterojunction molecular blends are much needed in the field of organic optoelectronics, only a small subset of methods based on molecular dynamics- and Monte Carlo-based approaches have been hitherto employed to guide or replace empirical characterization and testing. Here, we present the first use of the integral equation theory of molecular liquids in modelling the structural properties of blends of phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) with poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and a carboxylated poly(3-butylthiophene) (P3BT), respectively. For this, we use the Reference Interaction Site Model (RISM) with the Universal Force Field (UFF) to compute the microscopic structure of blends and obtain insight into the miscibility of its components. Input parameters for RISM, such as optimized molecular geometries and charge distribution of interaction sites, are derived by the Density Functional Theory (DFT) methods. We also run Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation to compare the diffusivity of the PCBM in binary blends with P3HT and P3BT, respectively. A remarkably good agreement with available experimental data and results of alternative modelling/simulation is observed for PCBM in the P3HT system. We interpret this as a step in the validation of the use of our approach for organic photovoltaics and support of its results for new systems that do not have reference data for comparison or calibration. In particular, for the less-studied P3BT, our results show that expectations about its performance in binary blends with PCBM may be overestimated, as it does not demonstrate the required level of miscibility and short-range structural organization. In addition, the simulated mobility of PCBM in P3BT is somewhat higher than what is expected for polymer blends and falls into a range typical for fluids. The significance of our predictive multi-scale modelling lies in the insights it offers into nanoscale morphology and charge transport behaviour in multi-component organic semiconductor blends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander E Kobryn
- National Institute for Nanotechnology, National Research Council Canada, 11421 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M9, Canada.
| | - Sergey Gusarov
- National Institute for Nanotechnology, National Research Council Canada, 11421 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M9, Canada.
| | - Karthik Shankar
- National Institute for Nanotechnology, National Research Council Canada, 11421 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M9, Canada.
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2V4, Canada.
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38
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Cui J, Martínez-Tong DE, Sanz A, Ezquerra TA, Rebollar E, Nogales A. Relaxation and Conductivity in P3HT/PC71BM Blends As Revealed by Dielectric Spectroscopy. Macromolecules 2016. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.5b02727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Cui
- Instituto de Estructura
de la Materia, IEM-CSIC, Serrano 121, Madrid 28006, Spain
| | | | - Alejandro Sanz
- Instituto de Estructura
de la Materia, IEM-CSIC, Serrano 121, Madrid 28006, Spain
| | - Tiberio A. Ezquerra
- Instituto de Estructura
de la Materia, IEM-CSIC, Serrano 121, Madrid 28006, Spain
| | - Esther Rebollar
- Instituto de Química
Física Rocasolano, IQFR-CSIC, Serrano 119, Madrid 28006, Spain
| | - Aurora Nogales
- Instituto de Estructura
de la Materia, IEM-CSIC, Serrano 121, Madrid 28006, Spain
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39
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Hufnagel M, Thelakkat M. Simultaneous morphological stability and high charge carrier mobilities in donor-acceptor block copolymer/PCBM blends. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/polb.24013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Hufnagel
- Applied Functional Polymers; Department of Macromolecular Chemistry I; University of Bayreuth; Universitaetsstr. 30 Bayreuth 95440 Germany
| | - Mukundan Thelakkat
- Applied Functional Polymers; Department of Macromolecular Chemistry I; University of Bayreuth; Universitaetsstr. 30 Bayreuth 95440 Germany
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40
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41
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Liu CH, Tseng WH, Cheng CY, Wu CI, Chou PT, Tung SH. Effects of amorphous poly(3-hexylthiophene) on active-layer structure and solar cells performance. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/polb.23999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chung-Hao Liu
- Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering; National Taiwan University; Taipei Taiwan 10617
| | - Wei-Hsuan Tseng
- Institute of Photonics and Optoelectronics and Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University; Taipei Taiwan 10617
| | - Chih-Yang Cheng
- Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering; National Taiwan University; Taipei Taiwan 10617
| | - Chih-I Wu
- Institute of Photonics and Optoelectronics and Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University; Taipei Taiwan 10617
| | - Pi-Tai Chou
- Department of Chemistry and Center of Emerging Material and Advanced Devices; National Taiwan University; Taipei Taiwan 10617
| | - Shih-Huang Tung
- Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering; National Taiwan University; Taipei Taiwan 10617
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42
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Rodríguez-Rodríguez Á, Soccio M, Martínez-Tong DE, Ezquerra TA, Watts B, García-Gutiérrez MC. Competition between phase separation and structure confinement in P3HT/PCDTBT heterojunctions: Influence on nanoscale charge transport. POLYMER 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2015.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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43
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Jung B, Kim K, Eom Y, Kim W. High-Pressure Solvent Vapor Annealing with a Benign Solvent To Rapidly Enhance the Performance of Organic Photovoltaics. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2015; 7:13342-9. [PMID: 26061813 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5b01658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
A high-pressure solvent vapor annealing (HPSVA) treatment is suggested as an annealing process to rapidly achieve high-performance organic photovoltaics (OPVs); this process can be compatible with roll-to-roll processing methods and uses a benign solvent: acetone. Solvent vapor annealing can produce an advantageous vertical distribution in the active layer; however, conventional solvent vapor annealing is also time-consuming. To shorten the annealing time, high-pressure solvent vapor is exposed on the active layer of OPVs. Acetone is a nonsolvent for poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT), but it can dissolve small amounts of 1-(3-methoxycarbonyl)-propyl-1,1-phenyl-(6,6)C61 (PCBM). Acetone vapor molecules can penetrate into the active layer under high vapor pressure conditions to alter the morphology. HPSVA induces a PCBM-rich phase near the cathode and facilitates the transport of free charge carriers to the electrode. Although P3HT is not soluble in acetone, locally rearranged P3HT crystallites are generated. The performance of OPV films was enhanced after HPSVA; the film treated at 30 kPa for 10 s showed optimum performance. Additionally, this HPSVA method could be adapted for mass production because the temporary exposure of films to high-pressure acetone vapor in ambient conditions also improved performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Buyoung Jung
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, South Korea
| | - Kangmin Kim
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, South Korea
| | - Yoomin Eom
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, South Korea
| | - Woochul Kim
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, South Korea
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44
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Rodríguez-Rodríguez Á, Rebollar E, Soccio M, Ezquerra TA, Rueda DR, Garcia-Ramos JV, Castillejo M, Garcia-Gutierrez MC. Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures on Conjugated Polymers: Poly(3-hexylthiophene). Macromolecules 2015. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.5b00804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Esther Rebollar
- Instituto de Química Física Rocasolano (IQFR-CSIC), Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Michelina Soccio
- Dipartimento
di Ingegneria Civile, Chimica, Ambientale e dei Materiali, DICAM-Università di Bologna, via Terracini 28, 40131 Bologna, Italy
| | - Tiberio A. Ezquerra
- Instituto de Estructura de la Materia (IEM-CSIC), Serrano 121, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel R. Rueda
- Instituto de Estructura de la Materia (IEM-CSIC), Serrano 121, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Marta Castillejo
- Instituto de Química Física Rocasolano (IQFR-CSIC), Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain
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45
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Masters RC, Pearson AJ, Glen TS, Sasam FC, Li L, Dapor M, Donald AM, Lidzey DG, Rodenburg C. Sub-nanometre resolution imaging of polymer-fullerene photovoltaic blends using energy-filtered scanning electron microscopy. Nat Commun 2015; 6:6928. [PMID: 25906738 PMCID: PMC4423221 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2014] [Accepted: 03/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The resolution capability of the scanning electron microscope has increased immensely in recent years, and is now within the sub-nanometre range, at least for inorganic materials. An equivalent advance has not yet been achieved for imaging the morphologies of nanostructured organic materials, such as organic photovoltaic blends. Here we show that energy-selective secondary electron detection can be used to obtain high-contrast, material-specific images of an organic photovoltaic blend. We also find that we can differentiate mixed phases from pure material phases in our data. The lateral resolution demonstrated is twice that previously reported from secondary electron imaging. Our results suggest that our energy-filtered scanning electron microscopy approach will be able to make major inroads into the understanding of complex, nano-structured organic materials. Morphological characterization of organic photovoltaic active layers is restricted by the lack of accurate chemical mapping tools. Here, the authors demonstrate an energy-filtered scanning electron microscopy technique, which enables sub-nanometre resolution imaging of an organic photovoltaic blend.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert C Masters
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sir Robert Hadfield Building, Mappin Street, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK
| | - Andrew J Pearson
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cavendish Laboratory, 19 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
| | - Tom S Glen
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cavendish Laboratory, 19 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
| | - Fabian-Cyril Sasam
- FEI Co. Europe NanoPort, Achtseweg Noord 5, Eindhoven, 5651 GG, The Netherlands
| | - Letian Li
- FEI Co. Europe NanoPort, Achtseweg Noord 5, Eindhoven, 5651 GG, The Netherlands
| | - Maurizio Dapor
- European Centre for Theoretical Studies in Nuclear Physics and Related Areas (ECT*-FBK) and Trento Institute for Fundamental Physics and Applications (TIFPA-INFN), via Sommarive 18, Trento I-38123, Italy
| | - Athene M Donald
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cavendish Laboratory, 19 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
| | - David G Lidzey
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Hicks Building, Hounsfield Road, Sheffield S3 7RH, UK
| | - Cornelia Rodenburg
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sir Robert Hadfield Building, Mappin Street, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK
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46
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Erothu H, Kolomanska J, Johnston P, Schumann S, Deribew D, Toolan DTW, Gregori A, Dagron-Lartigau C, Portale G, Bras W, Arnold T, Distler A, Hiorns RC, Mokarian-Tabari P, Collins TW, Howse JR, Topham PD. Synthesis, Thermal Processing, and Thin Film Morphology of Poly(3-hexylthiophene)–Poly(styrenesulfonate) Block Copolymers. Macromolecules 2015. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.5b00213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Harikrishna Erothu
- Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, U.K
| | - Joanna Kolomanska
- Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, U.K
| | - Priscilla Johnston
- Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, U.K
| | - Stefan Schumann
- Business Line Display and Semiconductors (HNB), Heraeus Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Chempark Leverkusen/Gebäude B 202, D-51368 Leverkusen, Germany
| | - Dargie Deribew
- Belectric OPV GmbH, Landgrabenstr.
94, 90443 Nürnberg, Germany
| | - Daniel T. W. Toolan
- Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, U.K
| | - Alberto Gregori
- Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie
pour l’Environnement et les Matériaux (IPREM) UMR 5254, Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, 64053 Pau, France
| | - Christine Dagron-Lartigau
- Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie
pour l’Environnement et les Matériaux (IPREM) UMR 5254, Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, 64053 Pau, France
| | - Giuseppe Portale
- Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, DUBBLE@ESRF
Beamline BM26, ESRF - The European Synchrotron, 71, Avenue des Martyrs, CS 40220, 38043 Grenoble, Cedex 9, France
| | - Wim Bras
- Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, DUBBLE@ESRF
Beamline BM26, ESRF - The European Synchrotron, 71, Avenue des Martyrs, CS 40220, 38043 Grenoble, Cedex 9, France
| | - Thomas Arnold
- I07 Beamline, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Diamond Light Source Ltd., Didcot OX11 0DE, U.K
| | - Andreas Distler
- Belectric OPV GmbH, Landgrabenstr.
94, 90443 Nürnberg, Germany
| | - Roger C. Hiorns
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire de Recherche sur l’Environment
et les Materiaux (IPREM UMR 5254), CNRS, 64053 Pau, France
| | - Parvaneh Mokarian-Tabari
- Department of Chemistry, University College Cork and Tyndall National Institute, Cork, Ireland
- Centre for Research on
Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN) and AMBER Centre, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Timothy W. Collins
- Department of Chemistry, University College Cork and Tyndall National Institute, Cork, Ireland
| | - Jonathan R. Howse
- Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, U.K
| | - Paul D. Topham
- Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, U.K
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47
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Dattani R, Telling MTF, Lopez CG, Krishnadasan SH, Bannock JH, Terry AE, de Mello JC, Cabral JT, Nedoma AJ. Rapid Precipitation: An Alternative to Solvent Casting for Organic Solar Cells. Chemphyschem 2015; 16:1231-8. [DOI: 10.1002/cphc.201402758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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48
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Wang W, Pröller S, Niedermeier MA, Körstgens V, Philipp M, Su B, Moseguí González D, Yu S, Roth SV, Müller-Buschbaum P. Development of the morphology during functional stack build-up of P3HT:PCBM bulk heterojunction solar cells with inverted geometry. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2015; 7:602-610. [PMID: 25495375 DOI: 10.1021/am5067749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Highly efficient poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT):phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) bulk heterojunction solar cells are achieved by using an inverted geometry. The development of the morphology is investigated as a function of the multilayer stack assembling during the inverted solar cell preparation. Atomic force microscopy is used to reveal the surface morphology of each stack, and the inner structure is probed with grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering. It is found that the smallest domain size of P3HT is introduced by replicating the fluorine-doped tin oxide structure underneath. The structure sizes of the P3HT:PCBM active layer are further optimized after thermal annealing. Compared to devices with standard geometry, the P3HT:PCBM layer in the inverted solar cells shows smaller domain sizes, which are much closer to the exciton diffusion length in the polymer. The decrease in domain sizes is identified as the main reason for the improvement of the device performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijia Wang
- Technische Universität München , Physik-Department, Lehrstuhl für Funktionelle Materialien, James-Franck-Straße 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
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49
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Wilken S, Wilkens V, Scheunemann D, Nowak RE, von Maydell K, Parisi J, Borchert H. Semitransparent polymer-based solar cells with aluminum-doped zinc oxide electrodes. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2015; 7:287-300. [PMID: 25495167 DOI: 10.1021/am5061917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
With the use of two transparent electrodes, organic polymer-fullerene solar cells are semitransparent and may be combined to parallel-connected multijunction devices or used for innovative applications like power-generating windows. A challenging issue is the optimization of the electrodes, to combine high transparency with adequate electric properties. In the present work, we study the potential of sputter-deposited aluminum-doped zinc oxide as an alternative to the widely used but relatively expensive indium tin oxide (ITO) as cathode material in semitransparent polymer-fullerene solar cells. Concerning the anode, we utilized an insulator-metal-insulator structure based on ultrathin Au films embedded between two evaporated MoO3 layers, with the outer MoO3 film (capping layer) serving as a light coupling layer. The performance of the ITO-free semitransparent polymer-fullerene solar cells was systematically studied as dependent on the thickness of the capping layer and the active layer as well as the illumination direction. These variations were found to have strong impact on the obtained photocurrent densities. We performed optical simulations of the electric field distribution within the devices using the transfer-matrix method, to analyze the origin of the current density variations in detail and provide deep insight into the device physics. With the conventional absorber materials studied here, optimized ITO-free and semitransparent devices reached 2.0% power conversion efficiency and a maximum optical transmission of 60%, with the device concept being potentially transferable to other absorber materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Wilken
- Energy and Semiconductor Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg , Carl-von-Ossietzky-Strasse 9-11, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
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50
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Kurta RP, Grodd L, Mikayelyan E, Gorobtsov OY, Zaluzhnyy IA, Fratoddi I, Venditti I, Russo MV, Sprung M, Vartanyants IA, Grigorian S. Local structure of semicrystalline P3HT films probed by nanofocused coherent X-rays. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2015; 17:7404-10. [DOI: 10.1039/c5cp00426h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruslan P. Kurta
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY
- D-22607 Hamburg
- Germany
- European XFEL GmbH
- D-22761 Hamburg
| | - Linda Grodd
- Department of Physics
- University of Siegen
- D-57072 Siegen
- Germany
| | | | - Oleg Y. Gorobtsov
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY
- D-22607 Hamburg
- Germany
- National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”
- 123182 Moscow
| | - Ivan A. Zaluzhnyy
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY
- D-22607 Hamburg
- Germany
- National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute)
- 115409 Moscow
| | - Ilaria Fratoddi
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Nanotechnology for Engineering (CNIS)
- University of Rome Sapienza
- I-00185 Rome
- Italy
| | - Iole Venditti
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Rome Sapienza
- I-00185 Rome
- Italy
| | | | - Michael Sprung
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY
- D-22607 Hamburg
- Germany
| | - Ivan A. Vartanyants
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY
- D-22607 Hamburg
- Germany
- National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute)
- 115409 Moscow
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