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Morphology Control for Fully Printable Organic–Inorganic Bulk-heterojunction Solar Cells Based on a Ti-alkoxide and Semiconducting Polymer
Published on: January 10, 2017
Conjugated block copolymer photovoltaics with near 3% efficiency through microphase separation
Changhe Guo1, Yen-Hao Lin, Matthew D Witman
1Department of Chemical Engineering and ‡Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA.
Nano Letters
|May 22, 2013
Summary
Conjugated block copolymers improve organic solar cell performance by controlling interfaces. These materials enable efficient photoconversion without fullerene acceptors, offering a new pathway for organic electronics.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Organic Electronics
- Renewable Energy
Background:
- Organic electronic materials offer broad applications but suffer from performance limitations due to weak intermolecular interactions and disorder at material interfaces.
- Organic semiconductors are crucial for electronic devices, yet their practical use is hindered by interface instability and low efficiency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate control over donor-acceptor heterojunctions using microphase-separated conjugated block copolymers.
- To enhance the performance and stability of organic electronic devices, particularly photovoltaic cells.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis and characterization of microphase-separated conjugated block copolymers.
- Fabrication of photovoltaic cells utilizing block copolymer active layers.
- Analysis of device performance and morphology using X-ray scattering techniques.
Main Results:
- Block copolymer-based photovoltaic devices achieved efficient photoconversion exceeding that of homopolymer blends.
- High device efficiencies (3%) were obtained without the need for a fullerene acceptor.
- X-ray scattering revealed self-assembly into mesoscale lamellar morphologies with face-on crystallite orientation, correlating with enhanced performance.
Conclusions:
- Microphase-separated conjugated block copolymers effectively control donor-acceptor interfaces in organic electronic devices.
- These block copolymers provide a viable strategy for improving performance in excitonic solar cells.
- The self-assembly behavior of block copolymers is key to achieving high efficiency in organic photovoltaics.
