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Published on: March 2, 2021
Efficient and Stable Air-Processed Organic Solar Cells Enabled by an Antioxidant Additive
Siwei Luo1,2, Yunjie Dou1, Xiaoyu Shi1
1State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, MOE Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer Materials & Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
High-efficiency organic solar cells (OSCs) can now be manufactured in air using a new antioxidant additive. This breakthrough improves power conversion efficiency (PCE) and operational stability, paving the way for scalable production.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Renewable Energy
- Organic Electronics
Background:
- High-efficiency organic solar cells (OSCs) typically require inert atmosphere fabrication, hindering scalable manufacturing.
- Air-processed OSCs exhibit lower efficiencies due to degradation from ambient factors, primarily oxidation and doping of light absorbers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of ambient factors on OSC fabrication.
- To develop a strategy for high-performance, air-processed OSCs.
- To enhance the efficiency and stability of OSCs fabricated in ambient conditions.
Main Methods:
- Systematic investigation of ambient factor effects on OSC fabrication.
- Development of a novel air-processing strategy using an antioxidant additive, 4-bromophenylhydrazine (BPH).
- Incorporation of BPH into precursor solutions to inhibit oxygen infiltration and suppress oxidation-induced trap formation.
Main Results:
- The BPH additive effectively inhibited oxygen infiltration and suppressed trap formation.
- Air-processed OSCs fabricated with BPH achieved a certified power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 19.2%, a significant increase from conventional methods.
- Operational stability was improved, with a T80 lifetime exceeding 500 hours, representing a twofold enhancement.
Conclusions:
- Antioxidant additives like BPH are effective in fabricating high-efficiency and stable OSCs in air.
- This strategy overcomes the limitations of inert atmosphere processing, promoting the industrialization of OSC technology.
