Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

Files

File List


YiC.the (final comments 1).pdf (1.77 MB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Towards High Performance Polymer Solar Cells Through Interface Engineering

Yi, Chao
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1367597024

Abstract Details

2013, Master of Science, University of Akron, Polymer Engineering.
Polymer solar cells (PSCs) are considered as one of the most promising alternative renewable energy sources. Recently, PSCs with over 10% power conversion efficiency (PCE) is achieved from tandem cells and over 9% from single cell. To obtain 15% PCE for real application of PSCs, three device parameters¿short circuit current density, Jsc; open circuit voltage, Voc and fill factor, FF must be increased. With an understanding of working mechanism in polymer solar cells and limiting factor in conjugated polymers, great achievements have been made in increasing these three parameters. In order to achieve the ideal efficiency for practical application, charge collection by the electrodes needs to be optimized via interface engineering. By far, some excited experimental results have been reported by using conjugated polyelectrolytes as an interfacial buffer layer. However, few study reports the utilization of neutral material as an interfacial buffer layer in polymer solar cells. (recently work reported by Santa Barbara). In this study, we exploited both conjugated polyelectrolyte and neutral conjugated polymer as an interfacial buffer layer from enhanced open circuit voltage by both of them. A new mechanism for neutral polymer material as interfacial buffer layer is addressed. By analysis of electronic properties of the devices with and without these buffer layer, correlation between suppressed dark current and open circuit voltage is illustrated. In an equivalent circuit of polymer solar cells, distinct increase in shunt resistance and reduction in sheet resistance reveal that incorporation of polyelectrolyte and neutral polymer leads to enhanced efficiency and neutral conjugated polymer provides a facile route for improving device performance. In order further study of the effect of interface layer, a specific neutral C60 derivative¿PC60¬BM-G2 was designed and utilized as an interfacial buffer layer in PSCs with both a conventional and an inverted device structures. For the in the conventional device, PC60BM-G2 showed high electron selectivity and electrical conductivity. More than 20% enhancement in PCEs was obtained. For the inverted device, PC60BM-G2 eliminated defects and vacancies on surface of electron extraction layer. Meanwhile, increased surface roughness provides large electrical interaction between the active layer and the electron extraction layer. Suppressed interface recombination and enhanced surface electrical conductivity originates from surface modification by PC60BM-G2, which results in over 30% enhancement in PCEs. These results reveal that neutral material could be made use of in interface engineering in organic electronics and sparked further investigation for the origin of enhanced device performance via neutral interfacial buffer layer.
Xiong Gong, Dr. (Advisor)
Alamgir Karim, Dr. (Committee Member)
Yu Zhu, Dr. (Committee Member)
90 p.
Physical Chemistry; Polymer Chemistry; Polymers

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Yi, C. (2013). Towards High Performance Polymer Solar Cells Through Interface Engineering [Master's thesis, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1367597024

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Yi, Chao. Towards High Performance Polymer Solar Cells Through Interface Engineering . 2013. University of Akron, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1367597024.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Yi, Chao. "Towards High Performance Polymer Solar Cells Through Interface Engineering ." Master's thesis, University of Akron, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1367597024

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

akron1367597024
1,371
© 2013, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Akron and OhioLINK.