Biomimetic Electrodes for Flexible Organic Solar Cells with Efficiencies over 16%

Abstract

AbstractFlexible organic solar cells (OSCs) are very promising for use in portable power supply devices due to the advantages of low‐cost, light‐weight, and flexibility. However, the efficiencies of flexible OSCs are limited by the flexible transparent electrodes owing to their nonoptimal electrical, optical, and mechanical properties. To address these challenges, leaf‐like biomimetic electrodes are proposed to achieve an efficient light capture and glossy surface for a high‐efficiency flexible OSC. To mimic the internal anatomy of the leaf, the conformable electrode stack consists of a flexible polyimide substrate, light‐scattering polystyrene spheres, zinc oxide protecting layer, and electrically conductive silver nanowires to obtain a high transmittance, low sheet resistance, and low surface roughness. A record‐high power conversion efficiency of 16.1% is realized by a flexible OSC with the biomimetic electrode design, comparable to those rigid devices on glass. Moreover, the flexible OSC on this biomimetic electrode exhibits a robust bendability against flexural strain, retaining 85% of the initial efficiency after 5000 bending cycles at a radius of curvature as small as 1.0 mm.