scholarly journals Improved Performance of Ternary Solar Cells by Using BODIPY Triads

Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 2723 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sompit Wanwong ◽  
Weradesh Sangkhun ◽  
Pisist Kumnorkaew ◽  
Jatuphorn Wootthikanokkhan

Two boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) triads, namely BODIPY-1 and BODIPY-2, were synthesized and incorporated with poly-3-hexyl thiophene: (6,6)-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) P3HT:PCBM. The photovoltaic performance of BODIPY:P3HT:PCBM ternary solar cells was increased, as compared to the control binary solar cells (P3HT:PCBM). The optimized power conversion efficiency (PCE) of BODIPY-1:P3HT:PCBM was improved from 2.22% to 3.43%. The enhancement of PCE was attributed to cascade charge transfer, an improved external quantum efficiency (EQE) with increased short circuit current (Jsc), and more homogeneous morphology in the ternary blend.

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanyu Wang ◽  
Xiao Wang ◽  
Pu Fan ◽  
Xin Yang ◽  
Junsheng Yu

The effect of molecular doping with TIPS-pentacene on the photovoltaic performance of polymer solar cells (PSCs) with a structure of ITO/ZnO/poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) : [6,6]-phenyl C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) : TIPS-pentacene/MoOx/Ag was systematically investigated by adjusting TIPS-pentacene doping ratios ranged from 0.3 to 1.2 wt%. The device with 0.6 wt% TIPS-pentacene exhibited the enhanced short-circuit current and fill factor by 1.23 mA/cm2and 7.8%, respectively, resulting in a maximum power conversion efficiency of 4.13%, which is one-third higher than that of the undoped one. The photovoltaic performance improvement was mainly due to the balanced charge carrier mobility, enhanced crystallinity, and matched cascade energy level alignment in TIPS-pentacene doped active layer, resulting in the efficient charge separation, transport, and collection.


Polymers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 460 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murugathas Thanihaichelvan ◽  
Selvadurai Loheeswaran ◽  
Kailasapathy Balashangar ◽  
Dhayalan Velauthapillai ◽  
Punniamoorthy Ravirajan

In this work, chemical bath-deposited cadmium sulfide (CdS) thin films were employed as an alternative hole-blocking layer for inverted poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) bulk heterojunction solar cells. CdS films were deposited by chemical bath deposition and their thicknesses were successfully controlled by tailoring the deposition time. The influence of the CdS layer thickness on the performance of P3HT:PCBM solar cells was systematically studied. The short circuit current densities and power conversion efficiencies of P3HT:PCBM solar cells strongly increased until the thickness of the CdS layer was increased to ~70 nm. This was attributed to the suppression of the interfacial charge recombination by the CdS layer, which is consistent with the lower dark current found with the increased CdS layer thickness. A further increase of the CdS layer thickness resulted in a lower short circuit current density due to strong absorption of the CdS layer as evidenced by UV-Vis optical studies. Both the fill factor and open circuit voltage of the solar cells with a CdS layer thickness less than ~50 nm were comparatively lower, and this could be attributed to the effect of pin holes in the CdS film, which reduces the series resistance and increases the charge recombination. Under AM 1.5 illumination (100 mW/cm2) conditions, the optimized PCBM:P3HT solar cells with a chemical bath deposited a CdS layer of thickness 70 nm and showed 50% power conversion efficiency enhancement, in comparison with similar solar cells with optimized dense TiO2 of 50 nm thickness prepared by spray pyrolysis.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joana Farinhas ◽  
Ricardo Oliveira ◽  
Quirina Ferreira ◽  
Jorge Morgado ◽  
Ana Charas

Ternary blend polymer solar cells combining two electron-donor polymers, poly[4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-2,6-diyl][3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl)carbonyl]thieno[3,4-b]thiophenediyl] (PTB7) and poly[2,5-bis(3-dodecylthiophen-2-yl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophene] (pBTTT) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC61BM), as electron-acceptor, were fabricated. The power conversion efficiency of the ternary cells was enhanced by 18%, with respect to the reference binary cells, for a blend composition with 25% (wt%) of pBTTT in the polymers content. The optimized device performance was related to the blend morphology, nonrevealing pBTTT aggregates, and improved charge extraction within the device.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 556-567
Author(s):  
Asma Khalil ◽  
Zubair Ahmad ◽  
Farid Touati ◽  
Mohamed Masmoudi

Background: The photo-absorption and light trapping through the different layers of the organic solar cell structures are a growing concern now-a-days as it affects dramatically the overall efficiency of the cells. In fact, selecting the right material combination is a key factor in increasing the efficiency in the layers. In addition to good absorption properties, insertion of nanostructures has been proved in recent researches to affect significantly the light trapping inside the organic solar cell. All these factors are determined to expand the absorption spectrum and tailor it to a wider spectrum. Objective: The purpose of this investigation is to explore the consequence of the incorporation of the Ag nanostructures, with different sizes and structures, on the photo absorption of the organic BHJ thin films. Methods: Through a three-dimensional Maxwell solver software, Lumerical FDTD, a simulation and comparison of the optical absorption of the three famous organic materials blends poly(3- hexylthiophene): phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM), poly[N-9″-heptadecanyl-2,7- carbazole-alt-5,5-(4′,7′-di-2-thienyl-2′,1′,3′-benzothiadiazole)]: phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PCDTBT:PCBM) and poly[2,6-(4,4-bis-(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b;3,4-b′]dithiophene)-alt- 4,7-(2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)]: phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PCDPDTBT:PCBM) has been conducted. Furthermore, FDTD simulation study of the incorporation of nanoparticles structures with different sizes, in different locations and concentrations through a bulk heterojunction organic solar cell structure has also been performed. Results: It has been demonstrated that embedding nanostructures in different locations of the cell, specifically in the active layer and the hole transporting layer had a considerable effect of widening the absorption spectrum and increasing the short circuit current. The effect of incorporation the nanostructures in the active layer has been proved to be greater than in the HTL. Furthermore, the comparison results showed that, PCDTBT:PCBM is no more advantageous over P3HT:PCBM and PCPDTBT:PCBM, and P3HT:PCBM took the lead and showed better performance in terms of absorption spectrum and short circuit current value. Conclusion: This work revealed the significant effect of size, location and concentration of the Ag nanostructures while incorporated in the organic solar cell. In fact, embedding nanostructures in the solar cell widen the absorption spectrum and increases the short circuit current, this result has been proven to be significant only when the nanostructures are inserted in the active layer following specific dimensions and structures.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 3295
Author(s):  
Andrzej Sławek ◽  
Zbigniew Starowicz ◽  
Marek Lipiński

In recent years, lead halide perovskites have attracted considerable attention from the scientific community due to their exceptional properties and fast-growing enhancement for solar energy harvesting efficiency. One of the fundamental aspects of the architecture of perovskite-based solar cells (PSCs) is the electron transport layer (ETL), which also acts as a barrier for holes. In this work, the influence of compact TiO2 ETL on the performance of planar heterojunction solar cells based on CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite was investigated. ETLs were deposited on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates from a titanium diisopropoxide bis(acetylacetonate) precursor solution using the spin-coating method with changing precursor concentration and centrifugation speed. It was found that the thickness and continuity of ETLs, investigated between 0 and 124 nm, strongly affect the photovoltaic performance of PSCs, in particular short-circuit current density (JSC). Optical and topographic properties of the compact TiO2 layers were investigated as well.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-73
Author(s):  
Ismail Borazan ◽  
Ayşe Celik Bedeloğlu ◽  
Ali Demir

In this article, the improvement in electrical performance of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)–poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) as the transparent electrode doped with different additives (ethylene glycol (EG), isopropyl alcohol) or treatment of sulfuric acid was enhanced that organic solar cells (OSCs) were produced by using poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl):[6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester. OSCs were fabricated by the doped or treated PEDOT:PSS films as transparent electrodes. The photoelectrical measurements were carried out and the effects of doping or treatment were compared. As a result, EG-added PEDOT:PSS electrode showed the best power conversion efficiency value of 1.87% among the PEDOT:PSS anodes.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 1802-1808 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Atamanuk ◽  
Justin Luria ◽  
Bryan D Huey

The nanoscale optoelectronic properties of materials can be especially important for polycrystalline photovoltaics including many sensor and solar cell designs. For thin film solar cells such as CdTe, the open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current are especially critical performance indicators, often varying between and even within individual grains. A new method for directly mapping the open-circuit voltage leverages photo-conducting AFM, along with an additional proportional-integral-derivative feedback loop configured to maintain open-circuit conditions while scanning. Alternating with short-circuit current mapping efficiently provides complementary insight into the highly microstructurally sensitive local and ensemble photovoltaic performance. Furthermore, direct open-circuit voltage mapping is compatible with tomographic AFM, which additionally leverages gradual nanoscale milling by the AFM probe essentially for serial sectioning. The two-dimensional and three-dimensional results for CdTe solar cells during in situ illumination reveal local to mesoscale contributions to PV performance based on the order of magnitude variations in photovoltaic properties with distinct grains, at grain boundaries, and for sub-granular planar defects.


Polymers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mao Jiang ◽  
Qiaoli Niu ◽  
Xiao Tang ◽  
Heyi Zhang ◽  
Haowen Xu ◽  
...  

The commonly used electron transport material (6,6)-phenyl-C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) for perovskite solar cells (PSC) with inverted planar structures suffers from properties such as poor film-forming. In this manuscript, we demonstrate a simple method to improve the film-forming properties of PCBM by doping PCBM with poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene-co-benzothiadiazole) (F8BT) as the electron transport layer (ETL), which effectively enhances the performance of CH3NH3PbI3 based solar cells. With 5 wt % F8BT in PCBM, the short circuit current (JSC) and fill factor (FF) of PSC both significantly increased from 17.21 ± 0.15 mA·cm−2 and 71.1 ± 0.07% to 19.28 ± 0.22 mA·cm−2 and 74.7 ± 0.21%, respectively, which led to a power conversion efficiency (PCE) improvement from 12.6 ± 0.24% to 15 ± 0.26%. The morphology investigation suggested that doping with F8BT facilitated the formation of a smooth and uniform ETL, which was favorable for the separation of electron-hole pairs, and therefore, an improved performance of PSC.


2019 ◽  
Vol 821 ◽  
pp. 407-413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Orabi Moustafa ◽  
Tariq Alzoubi

The performance of the InGaN single-junction thin film solar cells has been analyzed numerically employing the Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator (SCAPS-1D). The electrical properties and the photovoltaic performance of the InGaN solar cells were studied by changing the doping concentrations and the bandgap energy along with each layer, i.e. n-and p-InGaN layers. The results reveal an optimum efficiency of the InGaN solar cell of ~ 15.32 % at a band gap value of 1.32 eV. It has been observed that lowering the doping concentration NA leads to an improvement of the short circuit current density (Jsc) (34 mA/cm2 at NA of 1016 cm−3). This might be attributed to the increase of the carrier mobility and hence an enhancement in the minority carrier diffusion length leading to a better collection efficiency. Additionally, the results show that increasing the front layer thickness of the InGaN leads to an increase in the Jsc and to the conversion efficiency (η). This has been referred to the increase in the photogenerated current, as well as to the less surface recombination rate.


Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weifang Zhang ◽  
Zicha Li ◽  
Suling Zhao ◽  
Zheng Xu ◽  
Bo Qiao ◽  
...  

At present, most high-performance non-fullerene materials are centered on fused rings. With the increase in the number of fused rings, production costs and production difficulties increase. Compared with other non-fullerenes, small molecule INTIC has the advantages of easy synthesis and strong and wide infrared absorption. According to our previous report, the maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of an organic solar cell using PTB7-Th:INTIC as the active layer was 7.27%. In this work, other polymers, PTB7, PBDB-T and PBDB-T-2F, as the donor materials, with INTIC as the acceptor, are selected to fabricate cells with the same structure to optimize their photovoltaic performance. The experimental results show that the optimal PCE of PBDB-T:INTIC based organic solar cells is 11.08%, which, thanks to the open voltage (VOC) increases from 0.80 V to 0.84 V, the short circuit current (JSC) increases from 15.32 mA/cm2 to 19.42 mA/cm2 and the fill factor (FF) increases from 60.08% to 67.89%, then a 52.4% improvement in PCE is the result, compared with the devices based on PTB7-Th:INTIC. This is because the PBDB-T:INTIC system has better carrier dissociation and extraction, carrier transportation and higher carrier mobility.


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