Polymer Solar Cells with Improved Power Conversion Efficiency Using Solvent Mixtures

doi:10.1007/s40242-017-6266-z

Abstract

Abstract:

In this paper, the effects of solvent mixtures on the morphology, charge transport, and light trapping of poly[N-900-hepta-decanyl-2,7-carbazole-alt-5,5-(40,70-di-2-thienyl-20,10,30-benzothiadiazole)](PCDTBT) and[6,6]-phenyl C71-butyric acid methyl ester(PC₇₁BM) based solar cells were investigated. As a good solvent for PCDTBT, o-dichlorobenzene(ODCB) was selected to mix with chloroform(CF), chlorobenzene(CB), and 1,2,4-Trichloroben-zene(TCB) for optimizing the morphology of the PCDTBT:PC₇₁BM active layer. It can be found that the device performance of polymer solar cells(PSCs) has been greatly improved when using a optimal blend ratio. Especially, the PSCs fabricated via ODCB(90%)/CF(10%, volume fraction) mixture exhibit a remarkable enhancement of photon-to-current efficiency(PCE) from 5.16% to 7.47%. The enhanced performance of the PSCs can be attributed to the higher absorption, the lower resistance, and the optimized surface morphology of the active layers modified by the solvent mixtures.

Key words: Solvent mixture, Phase separation, Electron transport, Morphology, Polymer solar cell

ZHANG Chunxia, XU Xu, ZHANG Panpan, DANG Yang, KANG Bonan. Polymer Solar Cells with Improved Power Conversion Efficiency Using Solvent Mixtures[J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2017, 33(3): 466-470.

References

[1] Liu C., Hu X., Cao Y., Heeger A. J., Nanoscale, 2014, 6, 14297
[2] Kwon S., Park J. K., Kim H., Lee K., J. Mater. Chem. A, 2015, 3, 7719
[3] Lesoine M. D., Bobbitt J. M., Chaudhary S., Smith E. A., J. Phys. Chem. C, 2014, 118, 30229
[4] Keshtov M. L., Marochkin D. V., Koukaras E. N., Sharma G. D., J. Mater. Chem. A, 2014, 2, 155
[5] Heeger A. J., Adv. Mater., 2014, 26, 10
[6] Chen C. Y., Tsao C. S., Sue W. F., Wang L., Nanoscale, 2013, 5, 7629
[7] O'Regan B. C., Barnes P. R. F., Palomares E., Marin-Beloqui J. M., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2015, 137, 5087
[8] Liu C., Li J., Shen L., Ruan S., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2015, 17, 7960
[9] Yu G., Gao J., Wudl F., Heeger A. J., Science, 1995, 270, 15
[10] Li G., Shrotriya V., Yao Y., Yang Y., J. Appl. Phys., 2005, 98, 043704
[11] Sun Y., Takacs C. J., Roy A., Heeger A. J., Adv. Mater., 2011, 23, 2226
[12] Ambade S. B., Ambade R. B., Yoon S. C., Lee S., Nanoscale, 2014, 6, 12130
[13] Wang F., Tan Z., Li Y., Energy Environ. Sci., 2015, 8, 1059
[14] Etxebarria I., Guerrero A., Palomares E., Pacios R., Organic Elec-tronics, 2014, 15, 2756
[15] Kang B., Tan L. W., Silva S. R. P., Appl. Phys. Lett., 2008, 93, 133302
[16] Kang B., Tan L. W., Silva S. R. P., Organic Electronics., 2009, 10, 1178
[17] Vasilopoulou M., Georgiadou D. G., Coutsolelos A. G., Argitis P., J. Mater. Chem. A, 2014, 2, 182
[18] Beaupré S., Leclerc M., J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013, 1, 11097
[19] Tournebize A., Rivaton A., Beaupré S., Leclerc M., Adv. Energy Mater., 2014, 4, 1301530
[20] Ito E., Washizu Y., Yamashita K., Seki K., J. Appl. Phys., 2002, 92, 15
[21] Yu S., Santoro G., Drescher M., Roth S. V., J. Phys. Chem. Lett., 2013, 4, 3170
[22] Song Q. L., Li F.Y., Yang H., Hou X. Y., Chem. Phys. Lett., 2005, 416, 42
[23] Lee J. Y., Lee T., Park H. J., Guo L. J., Organic Electronics, 2014, 15, 2710
[24] Liang Y., Xu Z., Ray C., Yu L., Adv. Mater., 2010, 22, E135
[25] Wu C. G., Chiang C. H., Han H. C., J. Mater. Chem. A, 2014, 2, 5295
[26] Fang G., Liu J., Xie Z., Wang L., Organic Electronics, 2012, 13, 2733
[27] Murugesan V. S., Ono S., Shin P., Ochiai S., Inter. J. Photo., 2015, 694541.
[28] Tamilavan V., Kyung. H. R., Park S. H., Hyun M. H., J. Mater. Chem. A, 2014, 2, 20126
[29] Yan H., Hollinger J., Al-Faouri T., Seferos D.S., Chem. Mater., 2014, 26, 4605
[30] Kerr M. J., Schmidt J., Cuevas A., Bultman J. H., J. Appl. Phys., 2001, 89, 3821
[31] Park K. H., Dhayal M., Electro. Commun., 2009, 11, 75
[32] Staniec P. A., Parnell A. J., Jones R. A. L., Lidzey D. G., Adv. Energy Mater., 2011, 1, 499
[33] Chu T., Alem S., Tse S. C., Wakim S., Appl. Phys. Lett., 2011, 98, 253301
[34] Lee D. H., Yang Y. M., Richard E., Li G., Nanotechnology, 2014, 25, 295401
[35] Mayukh M., Macech M. R., Armstrong N. R., McGrath D. V., ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2015, 7, 23912
[36] Guo X., Zhang M., Hou J., Li Y., ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2014, 6, 8190
[37] Liu J., Liang Q., Xie Z., Wang L., J. Phys. Chem. C, 2014, 118, 4585
[38] Machui F., Brabec C. J., Semiconducting Polymer Composites:Principles, Morphologies Properties and Applications, Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Hoboken, 2012
[39] Zhang C., Zhang P., Xu X., Kang B., Materials Letters, 2016, 164, 591
[40] Murgatroyd P. N., Science, 1970, 3, 151
[41] Lampert M. A., Phys. Rev., 1956, 103, 1648
[42] Jia T., Han J., Zhou W., Li F., Wang Y., Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cell, 2015, 141, 93
[43] Zhou H., Zhang Y., Nguyen T., Heeger A. J., Adv. Mater., 2013, 25, 1646