Directed electron transfer in Langmuir–Schäfer layers of porphyrin–fullerene and phthalocyanine–fullerene dyads in inverted organic solar cells

Abstract

In this study double linked porphyrin-fullerene and phthalocyanine-fullerene dyads and a single linked phthalocyanine-fullerene dyad were studied as components in inverted organic solar cells (OSCs) equipped with the well known P3HT:PCBM bulk heterojunction as the photoactive layer. The dyad monolayers were deposited onto a surface of P3HT:PCBM by using the Langmuir-Schäfer method, therefore forming oriented monolayers in which the electron donor (D) and the acceptor (A) exist as a close proximity pair in a 1:1 molar ratio. As a result of this structure short circuit current density (J(sc)), open circuit voltage (V(oc)), and power conversion efficiency (η) increased, while the fill factor (FF) remained the same. The devices which contained dyads with double linkage produced higher efficiencies than the one with a single linked dyad. This result can be explained in terms of molecular orientation. It was also verified that the prepared OSC devices have promising long term air stability.