Abstract
The morphology of active layer for polymer solar cells is critical to enhance the performance especially for fill factor of the devices. To investigate the relationship between active layer morphology and performance of polymer solar cells (PSCs), 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO) additive, and [6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) electron acceptor were used to regulate the aggregation morphology of copolymer poly(thieno[3,4-b]-thiophene/benzodithiophene) (PTB7) electron donor from solution state to solid state. Atom force microscopy (AFM), steady-state absorption (UV-Vis), time-resolved absorption (TA), spectroelectrochemistry (SEC) and current-voltage (J-V) measurements were employed to characterize the morphology, optical and electrical characteristics of active layers and to reveal the relationship among the morphology, photophysical property, and performance of PTB7-based devices. The results show that DIO can refine the aggregation scale of PTB7 during the dissolution process, whereas both the aggregation scale and aggregation behaviors of PTB7 donor are affected by PC71BM acceptor molecules. Furthermore, the bulk heterojunction structure (BHJ) morphology of active layer can be optimized during the DIO evaporation process. TA kinetic data indicate that the population and lifetime of charged species are improved in the DIO-treated BHJ active layer. Moreover, the active layers with DIO treatment have a relative low highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy level, which makes hole transport more easily in PTB7 donor phase. As a result, the performance of PTB7-based PSCs is enhanced.
Highlights
Polymer solar cells (PSCs) are one of hot option for solving the problem of energy shortage owing to their advantages in flexibility, large-area, solution-processed [1,2,3]
DIO refines the aggregation size of PTB7 donor in solution, and the optimized size can be remained into solid active layer
PC71 BM acceptor has an important effect on aggregation state including the aggregation scale and aggregation size of PTB7 donor in solution and solid states
Summary
Polymer solar cells (PSCs) are one of hot option for solving the problem of energy shortage owing to their advantages in flexibility, large-area, solution-processed [1,2,3]. To study the effect of DIO additive on the morphology and photoelectric property of polymer active layers, four kinds of PTB7-based devices were fabricated by spin coating method (cf Experimental section), and Figure 1 shows the chemical structures of PTB7, PC71 BM and DIO. To further understand the relationship between the morphology and performance of PSCs, optical characterization, including steady-state absorption, time-resolution absorption, spectroelectrochemistry, and morphology characterization methods were used to analyze the photoelectric behaviors in the varied PTB7-based active layers. The result showed that both DIO and PC71 BM had important effect on further understand the relationship between the morphology and performance of PSCs, optical characterization, including steady-state absorption, time-resolution absorption, spectroelectrochemistry, and morphology characterization methods were used to analyze the photoelectric behaviors in the varied PTB7-based active layers.
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