Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 18, 2026

Morphology Control for Fully Printable Organic–Inorganic Bulk-heterojunction Solar Cells Based on a Ti-alkoxide and Semiconducting Polymer
Published on: January 10, 2017
Rapid precipitation: an alternative to solvent casting for organic solar cells
Rajeev Dattani1, Mark T F Telling, Carlos G Lopez
1Centre for Plastic Electronics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ (UK); Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ (UK).
Abstract:
Rapid precipitation, immersion of a liquid formulation into a nonsolvent, is compared with drop casting for fabricating organic solar cells. Blends comprising poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT), phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), and chlorobenzene were processed into bulk samples by using two distinct routes: rapid precipitation and drop casting. The resulting structure, phases, and crystallinity were analyzed by using small-angle neutron scattering, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, and muon spin resonance. Rapid precipitation was found to induce a finely structured phase separation between PCBM and P3HT, with 65 wt % crystallinity in the P3HT phase. In contrast, solvent casting resulted in a mixed PCBM/P3HT phase with only 43 wt % P3HT crystallinity. The structural advantages conferred by rapid precipitation were shown to persist following intense thermal treatments.
Related Concept Videos
Precipitation Processes
Precipitation of Ions
The equation that describes the equilibrium between solid calcium carbonate and its solvated ions is:
Precipitation and Co-precipitation
Gravimetry: Inorganic And Organic Precipitating Agents
Colloidal precipitates
Washing, Drying, and Ignition of Precipitates

