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Recent Developments in the Optimization of the Bulk Heterojunction Morphology of Polymer: Fullerene Solar Cells.

ABSTRACT: Organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices, made with semiconducting polymers, have recently attained a power conversion efficiency (PCE) over 14% in single junction cells and over 17% in tandem cells. These high performances, together with the suitability of the technology to inexpensive large-scale manufacture, over lightweight and flexible plastic substrates using roll-to-roll (R2R) processing, place the technology amongst the most promising for future harvesting of solar energy. Although OPVs using non-fullerene acceptors have recently outperformed their fullerene-based counterparts, the research in the development of new fullerenes and in the improvement of the bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) morphology and device efficiency of polymer:fullerene solar cells remains very active. In this review article, the most relevant research works performed over the last 3 years, that is, since the year 2016 onwards, in the field of fullerene-based polymer solar cells based on the copolymers PTB7, PTB7-Th (also known as PBDTTT-EFT) and PffBT4T-2OD, are presented and discussed. This review is primarily focused on studies that involve the improvement of the BHJ morphology, efficiency and stability of small active area devices (typically < 15 mm²), through the use of different processing strategies such as the use of different fullerene acceptors, different processing solvents and additives and different thermal treatments.

SUBMITTER: Gaspar H

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6316550 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Recent Developments in the Optimization of the Bulk Heterojunction Morphology of Polymer: Fullerene Solar Cells.

Gaspar Hugo H Figueira Flávio F Pereira Luiz L Mendes Adélio A Viana Júlio C JC Bernardo Gabriel G

Materials (Basel, Switzerland) 20181216 12

Organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices, made with semiconducting polymers, have recently attained a power conversion efficiency (PCE) over 14% in single junction cells and over 17% in tandem cells. These high performances, together with the suitability of the technology to inexpensive large-scale manufacture, over lightweight and flexible plastic substrates using roll-to-roll (R2R) processing, place the technology amongst the most promising for future harvesting of solar energy. Although OPVs using ...[more]

PMID: 30558380

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Project description:Recent efforts and progress in polymer solar cell research have boosted the photovoltaic efficiency of the technology. This efficiency depends not only on the device architecture but also on the material properties. Thus, insight into the design of novel semiconductor materials is vital for the advancement of the field. This paper looks from a theoretical viewpoint into two of the factors for the design of semiconductor materials with applications to bulk heterojunction solar cells: the charge transfer exciton binding energy and the nanoscale arrangement of donor and acceptor molecules in blend systems. Being aware that the exciton dissociation of local excitons in charge transfer states initiates the charge generation process, the excited state properties of four oligomers (one donor-type: PEO-PPV; and three donor-acceptor-types: PTFB, PTB7, and PTB7-Th) and two fullerene derivatives ([60]PCBM and [70]PCBM), previously reported in the literature as having high electrical conductance, are studied. With such a study, the donor molecules, either of donor-type or donor-acceptor type, are screened as candidates for [60]PCBM- and/or [70]PCBM-based bulk heterojunctions. The charge transfer energy and charge transfer exciton binding energy of suitable donor:acceptor bulk heterojunctions, some of them not yet fabricated, are studied. Further, the charge transfer exciton binding energies of [60]PCBM- and [70]PCBM-based blends are compared. A combination of molecular dynamics simulations with calculations based on Kohn-Sham density functional theory (KS-DFT) and its time-dependent extension (KS-TDDFT) is used. An important feature of this work is that it incorporates the effect of the environment of the quantum chemical system in KS-DFT or KS-TDDFT calculations through a polarizable discrete reaction field (DRF). Our predictions in terms of the influence of the nanoscale arrangement of donor and acceptor molecules on the performance of organic solar cells indicate that bulk heterojunction morphologies for donor-acceptor-type oligomers lead to their lowest excited states having charge transfer character. Further, we find that in terms of favorable charge transfer exciton binding energy, the PTB7-Th:[70]PCBM blends outperform the other blends.

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Recent Developments in the Optimization of the Bulk Heterojunction Morphology of Polymer: Fullerene Solar Cells.

Publications

Recent Developments in the Optimization of the Bulk Heterojunction Morphology of Polymer: Fullerene Solar Cells.

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