Improving bulk heterojunction solar cells through controlling their nanostructure

Nichole C. Cates; George F. Burkhard; Roman Gysel; Zach Beiley; Eric T. Hoke; Shawn R. Scully; Chad E. Miller; Michael F. Toney; Martin Heeney; Iain McCulloch; Michael D. McGehee

Improving bulk heterojunction solar cells through controlling their nanostructure

Nichole C. Cates, George F. Burkhard, Roman Gysel, Zach Beiley, Eric T. Hoke, Shawn R. Scully, Chad E. Miller, Michael F. Toney, Martin Heeney, Iain McCulloch, Michael D. McGehee

Research output: Contribution to journal › Conference article › peer-review

Abstract

We investigated the internal quantum efficiencies (IQEs) of high efficiency P3HT:PCBM solar cells and found the IQEs to be wavelength dependent. Numerical modeling showed that this could be explained by the polymer and fullerene having unequal exciton harvesting efficiencies. We found that for these devices, the exciton diffusion length in PCBM is too small; excitons generated in PCBM decay before reaching the donor-acceptor interface. We also studied fullerene intercalation in the crystalline polymer pBTTT and the amorphous polymer MDMO-PPV. This work demonstrates that intercalation can be controlled by adjusting the fullerene size, clarifies the effect of intercalation on solar-cell properties and explains why intercalation may be responsible for the significant increase in the MDMO-PPV hole mobility when it is blended with PCBM.

Original language	English (US)
Journal	ACS National Meeting Book of Abstracts
State	Published - 2010
Externally published	Yes
Event	240th ACS National Meeting and Exposition - Boston, MA, United States Duration: Aug 22 2010 → Aug 26 2010

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General Chemistry
General Chemical Engineering

Cite this

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title = "Improving bulk heterojunction solar cells through controlling their nanostructure",

abstract = "We investigated the internal quantum efficiencies (IQEs) of high efficiency P3HT:PCBM solar cells and found the IQEs to be wavelength dependent. Numerical modeling showed that this could be explained by the polymer and fullerene having unequal exciton harvesting efficiencies. We found that for these devices, the exciton diffusion length in PCBM is too small; excitons generated in PCBM decay before reaching the donor-acceptor interface. We also studied fullerene intercalation in the crystalline polymer pBTTT and the amorphous polymer MDMO-PPV. This work demonstrates that intercalation can be controlled by adjusting the fullerene size, clarifies the effect of intercalation on solar-cell properties and explains why intercalation may be responsible for the significant increase in the MDMO-PPV hole mobility when it is blended with PCBM.",

author = "Cates, {Nichole C.} and Burkhard, {George F.} and Roman Gysel and Zach Beiley and Hoke, {Eric T.} and Scully, {Shawn R.} and Miller, {Chad E.} and Toney, {Michael F.} and Martin Heeney and Iain McCulloch and McGehee, {Michael D.}",

year = "2010",

language = "English (US)",

journal = "ACS National Meeting Book of Abstracts",

issn = "0065-7727",

publisher = "American Chemical Society",

note = "240th ACS National Meeting and Exposition ; Conference date: 22-08-2010 Through 26-08-2010",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Improving bulk heterojunction solar cells through controlling their nanostructure

AU - Cates, Nichole C.

AU - Burkhard, George F.

AU - Gysel, Roman

AU - Beiley, Zach

AU - Hoke, Eric T.

AU - Scully, Shawn R.

AU - Miller, Chad E.

AU - Toney, Michael F.

AU - Heeney, Martin

AU - McCulloch, Iain

AU - McGehee, Michael D.

PY - 2010

Y1 - 2010

N2 - We investigated the internal quantum efficiencies (IQEs) of high efficiency P3HT:PCBM solar cells and found the IQEs to be wavelength dependent. Numerical modeling showed that this could be explained by the polymer and fullerene having unequal exciton harvesting efficiencies. We found that for these devices, the exciton diffusion length in PCBM is too small; excitons generated in PCBM decay before reaching the donor-acceptor interface. We also studied fullerene intercalation in the crystalline polymer pBTTT and the amorphous polymer MDMO-PPV. This work demonstrates that intercalation can be controlled by adjusting the fullerene size, clarifies the effect of intercalation on solar-cell properties and explains why intercalation may be responsible for the significant increase in the MDMO-PPV hole mobility when it is blended with PCBM.

AB - We investigated the internal quantum efficiencies (IQEs) of high efficiency P3HT:PCBM solar cells and found the IQEs to be wavelength dependent. Numerical modeling showed that this could be explained by the polymer and fullerene having unequal exciton harvesting efficiencies. We found that for these devices, the exciton diffusion length in PCBM is too small; excitons generated in PCBM decay before reaching the donor-acceptor interface. We also studied fullerene intercalation in the crystalline polymer pBTTT and the amorphous polymer MDMO-PPV. This work demonstrates that intercalation can be controlled by adjusting the fullerene size, clarifies the effect of intercalation on solar-cell properties and explains why intercalation may be responsible for the significant increase in the MDMO-PPV hole mobility when it is blended with PCBM.

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M3 - Conference article

AN - SCOPUS:79951491883

SN - 0065-7727

JO - ACS National Meeting Book of Abstracts

JF - ACS National Meeting Book of Abstracts

T2 - 240th ACS National Meeting and Exposition

Y2 - 22 August 2010 through 26 August 2010

ER -

Improving bulk heterojunction solar cells through controlling their nanostructure

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

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