Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 26, 2026

Making Record-efficiency SnS Solar Cells by Thermal Evaporation and Atomic Layer Deposition
Published on: May 22, 2015
Water/Alcohol Soluble Thickness-Insensitive Hyperbranched Perylene Diimide Electron Transport Layer Improving the
Dan Zhou1, Fei Yang2, Yuancheng Qin3
1Key Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Persistent Pollutants, Control and Resources Recycle, Nanchang Hangkong University, 696 Fenghe South Avenue, Nanchang 330063, China. zhoudan@nchu.edu.cn.
Abstract:
The electron transport layer (ETL) is very crucial for enhancing the device performance of polymer solar cells (PSCs). Meanwhile, thickness-insensitive and environment-friendly water/alcohol soluble processing are two essential requirements for large-scale roll-to-roll commercial application. Based on this, we designed and synthesized two new n-type ETLs with tetraethylene pentamine or butyl sulfonate sodium substituted tetraethylene pentamine as the branched side chains and high electron affinities perylene diimide (PDI) as the central core, named as PDIPN and PDIPNSO₃Na. Encouragingly, both PDIPN and PDIPNSO₃Na can effectively reduce the interfacial barrier and improve the interfacial contact. In addition, both of them can exhibit strong n-type self-doping effects, especially the PDIPN with higher density of negative charge. Consequently, compared to bare ITO, the PCE of the devices with ITO/PDIPN and ITO/PDIPNSO₃Na ETLs has increased to 3-4 times. Our research results indicate that n-type self-doping PDI-based ETL PDIPN and PDIPNSO₃Na could be promising candidates for ETL in environment-friendly water/alcohol soluble processing large-scale PSCs.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Electron Transport Chains
The ETC is comprised of...
Solubility Equilibria: Ionic Product of Water
The ionic product of water varies with temperature, and its value is 1.0 x 10−14 at standard experimental conditions. Per Le...
The Electron Transport Chain
Inhibitors of the electron transport chain
Rotenone, a widely used pesticide, prevents electron transfer from Fe-S cluster to ubiquinone or Q...
The Z-Scheme of Electron Transport in Photosynthesis
Electron Transport Chain: Complex I and II
ROS generation is regulated and maintained at moderate levels necessary...
Electron Transport Chain Components

