Investigation of donor–acceptor copolymer films and their blends with fullerene in the active layers of bulk heterojunction solar cells by Raman microspectroscopy

Abstract

Thin films made of three low-band gap donor–acceptor copolymers (CDTF, CDTDP and CDTDOP) composed of 4,6-bis(3′-dodecylthiophen-2′-yl)thieno[3,4-c][1,2,5]thiadiazole-5′,5′-diyl as an electron-acceptor structural unit and various electron-donor structural units, such as 9,9-bis(2-ethylhexyl)fluorene-2,7-diyl, 2,5-didodecyl-1,4-phenylene and 2,5-didodecyloxy-1,4-phenylene, respectively, and thin films of their blends with various ratios of a soluble fullerene derivative [6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester ([60]PCBM) as an active layer for bulk heterojunction solar cells were studied by means of UV–vis absorption spectroscopy and Raman microspectroscopy. The molecules of CDTDP and CDTDOP possess the same main chains; they differ in the side-chain oxygen only, which changes the donor strength of the donor units. UV–vis and Raman studies allow us to show differences in the hindering of molecule planarization and aggregation in the blends. Absorption of the polymer films covered the whole visible spectral region and extended up to near infrared for CDTDOP. The absorption behavior of the CDTDP blend films qualitatively differed from the absorption behavior of the blend films of CDTF or CDTDOP. The Raman measurements were performed at two different laser excitation wavelengths (633 and 785 nm), which enabled the photoluminescence of both components in the Raman spectra to be distinguished. The Raman study was performed in different parts of the films, including the separated areas. It was proven that the separated areas in the blend films had higher contents of [60]PCBM than the rest of the films.