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Energy Express

Energy Express

  • Editor: Christian Seassal
  • Vol. 21, Iss. S1 — Jan. 14, 2013
  • pp: A146–A156

Optics InfoBase > Energy Express > Volume 21 > Issue S1 > Page A146

Interface-engineering additives of poly(oxyethylene tridecyl ether) for low-band gap polymer solar cells consisting of PCDTBT:PCBM70 bulk-heterojunction layers

Yoon Ho Huh and Byoungchoo Park  »View Author Affiliations


Optics Express, Vol. 21, Issue S1, pp. A146-A156 (2013)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.21.00A146


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Abstract

We herein report on the improved photovoltaic (PV) effects of using a polymer bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) layer that consists of a low-band gap electron donor polymer of poly(N-9'-heptadecanyl-2,7-carbazole-alt-5,5-(4',7'-di-2-thienyl-2',1',3′-benzothiadiazole)) (PCDTBT) and an acceptor of [6,6]-phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM70), doped with an interface-engineering surfactant additive of poly(oxyethylene tridecyl ether) (PTE). The presence of an interface-engineering additive in the PV layer results in excellent performance; the addition of PTE to a PCDTBT:PCBM70 system produces a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 6.0%, which is much higher than that of a reference device without the additive (4.9%). We attribute this improvement to an increased charge carrier lifetime, which is likely to be the result of the presence of PTE molecules oriented at the interfaces between the BHJ PV layer and the anode and cathode, as well as at the interfaces between the phase-separated BHJ domains. Our results suggest that the incorporation of the PTE interface-engineering additive in the PCDTBT:PCBM70 PV layer results in a functional composite system that shows considerable promise for use in efficient polymer BHJ PV cells.

© 2012 OSA

OCIS Codes
(040.5350) Detectors : Photovoltaic
(160.5470) Materials : Polymers
(310.1860) Thin films : Deposition and fabrication
(350.6050) Other areas of optics : Solar energy
(310.6845) Thin films : Thin film devices and applications

ToC Category:
Photovoltaics

History
Original Manuscript: October 25, 2012
Revised Manuscript: November 23, 2012
Manuscript Accepted: November 26, 2012
Published: December 14, 2012

Citation
Yoon Ho Huh and Byoungchoo Park, "Interface-engineering additives of poly(oxyethylene tridecyl ether) for low-band gap polymer solar cells consisting of PCDTBT:PCBM70 bulk-heterojunction layers," Opt. Express 21, A146-A156 (2013)
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-21-S1-A146


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