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Polymer Photovoltaic Cells Based on Solution‐Processable Graphene and P3HT
Author(s) -
Liu Qian,
Liu Zunfeng,
Zhang Xiaoyan,
Yang Liying,
Zhang Nan,
Pan Guiling,
Yin Shougen,
Chen Yongsheng,
Wei Jun
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.200800954
Subject(s) - materials science , graphene , pedot:pss , energy conversion efficiency , annealing (glass) , optoelectronics , polymer solar cell , photovoltaic system , polymer , acceptor , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , composite material , ecology , physics , condensed matter physics , engineering , biology
A soluble graphene, which has a one‐atom thickness and a two‐dimensional structure, is blended with poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and used as the active layer in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) polymer photovoltaic cells. Adding graphene to the P3HT induces a great quenching of the photoluminescence of the P3HT, indicating a strong electron/energy transfer from the P3HT to the graphene. In the photovoltaic devices with an ITO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT:graphene/LiF/Al structure, the device efficiency increases first and then decreases with the increase in the graphene content. The device containing only 10 wt % of graphene shows the best performance with a power conversion efficiency of 1.1%, an open‐circuit voltage of 0.72 V, a short‐circuit current density of 4.0 mA cm −2 , and a fill factor of 0.38 under simulated AM1.5G conditions at 100 mW cm −2 after an annealing treatment at 160 °C for 10 min. The annealing treatment at the appropriate temperature (160 °C, for example) greatly improves the device performance; however, an annealing at overgenerous conditions such as at 210 °C results in a decrease in the device efficiency (0.57%). The morphology investigation shows that better performance can be obtained with a moderate content of graphene, which keeps good dispersion and interconnection. The functionalized graphene, which is cheap, easily prepared, stable, and inert against the ambient conditions, is expected to be a competitive candidate for the acceptor material in organic photovoltaic applications.