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Although ternary solar cells (TSCs) offer a cost-effective prospect to expand the absorption bandwidth of organic solar cells, only few TSCs have succeeded in surpassing the performance of binary solar cells (BSCs) primarily due to the complicated morphology of the ternary blends. Here, the key factors that create and limit the morphology and performance of the TSCs are elucidated. The origin of morphology formation is explored and the role of kinetic factors is investigated. The results reveal that the morphology of TSC blends considered in this study are characterized with either a single length-scale or two length-scale features depending on the composition of the photoactive polymers in the blend. This asymmetric morphology development reveals that TSC blend morphology critically depends on material compatibility and polymer solubility. Most interestingly, the fill factor (FF) of TSCs is found to linearly correlate with the relative standard deviation of the fullerene distribution at small lengths. This is the first time that such a correlation has been shown for ternary systems. The criteria that uniform sized and highly pure amorphous domains are accomplished through the correct kinetic path to obtain a high FF for TSCs are specifically elucidated. The findings provide a critical insight for the precise design and processing of TSCs. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

A scalable procedure for nano-patterning the bulk heterojunction layer in organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices is reported. Nano-patterning is shown to increase light absorption in poly(3-hexylthiophene) : [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT : PCBM) devices (ITO\WO3\P3HT : PCBM\Ca\Al). Nano-patterning also modifies electric fields in OPV devices, thus affecting charge harvesting. Nano-patterned OPV devices with a power conversion efficiency of 4% are presented. Comparable efficiencies are also obtained by optimization of thicknesses in a flat-layer device. Trade-offs between absorption enhancement and charge harvesting deterioration induced by nano-patterning are discussed as well as possible optimization strategies.

The open-circuit voltage (V-oc) of polymer:fullerene bulk heterojunction solar cells is determined by the interfacial charge-transfer (CT) states between polymer and fullerene. Fourier-transform photocurrent spectroscopy and electroluminescence spectra of several polymer:fullerene blends are used to extract the relevant interfacial molecular parameters. An analytical expression linking these properties to V-oc is deduced and shown to be valid for photovoltaic devices comprising three commonly used conjugated polymers blended with the fullerene derivative [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). V-oc is proportional to the energy of the CT states E-CT. The energetic loss q Delta V between E-CT and qV(oc) vanishes when approaching 0 K. It depends linearly on T and logarithmically on illumination intensity. Furthermore q Delta V can be reduced by decreasing the electronic coupling between polymer and fullerene or by reducing the nonradiative recombination rate. For the investigated devices we find a loss q Delta V of similar to 0.6 eV at room temperature and under solar illumination conditions, of which similar to 0.25 eV is due to radiative recombination via the CT state and similar to 0.35 eV is due to nonradiative recombination., Original Publication:Koen Vandewal, Kristofer Tvingstedt, Abay Gadisa, Olle Inganäs and Jean V Manca, Relating the open-circuit voltage to interface molecular properties of donor:acceptor bulk heterojunction solar cells, 2010, PHYSICAL REVIEW B, (81), 12, 125204.http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.81.125204Copyright: American Physical Societyhttp://www.aps.org

Efficient polymer solar cells typically contain the fullerene derivative [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), which promotes dissociation of excited states and enhances charge transport. The ability of PCBM to transport holes in solar cell bulk heterojunction films is monitored via the electroluminescence emission of a bulk heterojunction blend of PCBM and a polyfluorene copolymer. In polymer/fullerene bilayer diodes, fullerene emission is also observed.

The increasing amount of research on solution-processable, organic donor-acceptor bulk heterojunction photovoltaic systems, based on blends of conjugated polymers and fullerenes has resulted in devices with an overall power-conversion efficiency of 6%. For the best devices, absorbed photon-to-electron quantum efficiencies approaching 100% have been shown. Besides the produced current, the overall efficiency depends critically on the generated photovoltage. Therefore, understanding and optimization of the open-circuit voltage (V-oc) of organic solar cells is of high importance. Here, we demonstrate that charge-transfer absorption and emission are shown to be related to each other and V-oc in accordance with the assumptions of the detailed balance and quasi-equilibrium theory. We underline the importance of the weak ground-state interaction between the polymer and the fullerene and we confirm that V-oc is determined by the formation of these states. Our work further suggests alternative pathways to improve V-oc of donor-acceptor devices.

New low band gap alternating polyfluorene copolymers were synthesized for use in plastic solar cells and their optical, electrochemical, and photovoltaic characteristics were determined. These polymers incorporated fluorene units alternating with groups including electron-withdrawing (A) and electron-donating (D) groups in donor-acceptor-donor (DAD) sequence to achieve the lowering of band gaps. The HOMO-LUMO values were estimated from electrochemical studies. By varying the donor and acceptor strength and position of the solubilizing substituents, similar HOMO values were obtained. These values were also found to correlate well with the open circuit voltage (VOC) values determined from photovoltaic data of the polymers blended with the acceptor PCBM. Despite similar HOMO values, the absorption spectra of the polymers differ significantly. This prompted the preparation of photovoltaic devices consisting of blends of two polymers with complementary absorptions in combination with PCBM to harvest more photons in the polymer solar cells. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The authors report polarized red, electroluminescence peak at 705 nm and near infrared, electroluminescence peak at 950 nm, light emission from light emitting diodes based on two polyfluorene copolymers. The copolymers are synthesized from a fluorene monomer combined with donor-acceptor-donor comonomers and designed to have a low band gap and form birefringent liquid crystalline phases. Emission occurs from aligned thin films of polymer layers. The emissive layers are aligned by spin coating on a layer of rubbed conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene)-poly(styrene sulphonate) and thermally converted into glassy nematic liquid crystalline state.

On the day of the defence day the status of article III was In press and article VI was Manuscript.

We demonstrate a prototype solar cell with a transparent polymer cathode, and indium-tin-oxide (ITO)/poly (3, 4-ethylene dioxythiophene)-poly (styrene sulphonate) (PEDOT:PSS) anode. As an active layer, thin film of a bulk heterojunction of polyfluorene copolymer poly[2,7-(9,9-dioctyl-fluorene)-alt-5,5-(4′,7′-di-2thienyl-2′,1′3′-benzothiadiazole)] (APFO-3) and an electron acceptor molecule [6] and [6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) (1:4 wt.) was sandwiched between the two transparent polymer electrodes. The cathode is another form of PEDOT formed by vapor phase polymerised PEDOT (VPP PEDOT) of conductivity 102–103 S/cm. The cathode is supported on an elastomeric substrate, and forms a conformal contact to the APFO-3/PCBM blend. Transparent solar cells are useful for building multilayer and tandem solar cells.

Charge transport in a near infrared absorbing polyfluorene copolymer (APFO-Green1) and its blends with methanofullerene [6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), and 3′-(3,5-bis-trifluoromethylphenyl)-1′-(4-nitrophenyl)pyrazolino[70]fullerene (BTPF70) is reported. PCBM and BTPF70 are electron acceptor and transporting molecules in polymer based solar cells. The BTPF70 has emerged as a new electron acceptor molecule that provides adequate exciton dissociation when blended with the low band gap polyfluorene copolymer APFO-Green1. Electron transport in both net PCBM and BTPF70 films are subjected to positional and energetic disorder, with the degree of disorder being more pronounced in BTPF70. On the other hand, mixing PCBM with conjugated polymers usually leads to increased hole mobility. We have investigated and compared the acceptor concentration dependence of charge transport in APFO-Green1/PCBM and APFO-Green1/BTPF70 blend films. For better understanding of the charge transport in the heterojunction films, the field and temperature dependence of hole transport in pure APFO-Green1 films has also been studied. It is observed that the behavior of hole mobility in the blend layer is sensitive to the acceptor type. For APFO-Green1/PCBM hole only devices, the hole mobility attains a local maximum at 67 wt.% of PCBM, while on the contrary mixing any amount of BTPF70 with APFO-Green1 results into degradation of hole transport. Electron transport in both blends, however, increases monotonically as a function of acceptor loading.

Recently developed organic photovoltaics (OPVs) show distinct advantages over their inorganic counterparts due to their lighter weight, flexible shape, versatile materials synthesis and device fabrication schemes, and low cost in large-scale industrial production. Although many books currently exist on general concepts of PV and inorganic PV materials and devices, few are available that offer a comprehensive overview of recently fast developing organic and polymeric PV materials and devices. Organic Photovoltaics: Mechanisms, Materials, and Devicesfills this gap. The book provides an international perspective on the latest research in this rapidly expanding field with contributions from top experts around the world. It presents a unified approach comprising three sections: General Overviews; Mechanisms and Modeling; and Materials and Devices. Discussions include sunlight capture, exciton diffusion and dissociation, interface properties, charge recombination and migration, and a variety of currently developing OPV materials/devices. The book also includes two forewords: one by Nobel Laureate Dr. Alan J. Heeger, and the other by Drs. Aloysius Hepp and Sheila Bailey of NASA Glenn Research Center. Organic Photovoltaics equips students, researchers, and engineers with knowledge of the mechanisms, materials, devices, and applications of OPVs necessary to develop cheaper, lighter, and cleaner renewable energy throughout the coming decades.