Nickel oxide and polytetrafluoroethylene stacked structure as an interfacial layer for efficient polymer solar cells

Abstract

An efficient polymer solar cell (PSC) has been demonstrated by incorporating an ultrathin interfacial insulating organic layer of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) between a photoactive layer and hole-collecting buffer layer (NiOx). The photoactive layer is made with bulk heterojunction composites of poly[N-9’’-hepta-decanyl-2,7-carbazolealt-5,5-(4′,7′-di-2-thienyl- 2′,1′,3′-ben-zothiadiazole)]:[6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PCDTBT:PC71BM). The PTFE layer not only improves the energy level alignment by forming an interfacial dipole at the interface but also reduces the inherent incompatibility between the hydrophobic active layer and hydrophilic NiOx layer, thereby benefiting to the charge extraction and transport in the solar cells. As a result, with the NiOx/PTFE stacked structure, all the photovoltaic performance parameters are significantly improved, leading to a higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) of up to 7.11% compared to the control device without PTFE layer (PCE 5.50%). The PTFE layer provides a superior alternative to interfacial engineering of the metal oxide/organic semiconductor interface in polymer solar cells and other organic electronic devices.