1. Ternary photovoltaic blends incorporating an all-conjugated donor-acceptor diblock copolymer
- Author
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Kerr Johnson, Michael Sommer, Rhiannon Mulherin, Peter Kohn, Neil C. Greenham, Sven Huettner, Sybille Allard, Stefan Jung, and Ullrich Scherf
- Subjects
Materials science ,Nanostructure ,Organic solar cell ,Light ,Bioengineering ,02 engineering and technology ,010402 general chemistry ,7. Clean energy ,01 natural sciences ,law.invention ,Electron Transport ,Electric Power Supplies ,law ,Organoselenium Compounds ,Polymer chemistry ,Materials Testing ,Copolymer ,Solar Energy ,Nanotechnology ,General Materials Science ,Crystallization ,Particle Size ,chemistry.chemical_classification ,Mechanical Engineering ,General Chemistry ,Polymer ,Equipment Design ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Condensed Matter Physics ,Acceptor ,0104 chemical sciences ,Nanostructures ,Equipment Failure Analysis ,Chemical engineering ,chemistry ,Polymer blend ,0210 nano-technology ,Ternary operation - Abstract
We present a new fully conjugated diblock copolymer, P3HT-b-PFTBTT, containing donor and acceptor blocks with suitably positioned energy levels for use in a solar cell. This is the first block copolymer to be based on an existing high-performance polymer:polymer blend. We observe phase separation of the blocks and self-assembly behavior. In ternary blends with the respective homopolymers the diblock copolymer introduces lateral nanostructure without restricting P3HT crystallization in the charge transport direction, resulting in standing lamellae. By adding the diblock to the homopolymer blend as a compatibilizer, we prevent phase separation at elevated temperatures and benefit from a dramatic increase in P3HT ordering, allowing us to demonstrate polymer blend photovoltaics where the nanostructure is thermodynamically, rather than kinetically, controlled.
- Published
- 2011