Numerical Evaluation of Novel Bio‐Photovoltaic Devices Inspired by Photosynthetic Process and High Poly (3,4‐Ethylenedioxythiophene): Poly (styrenesulfonate) Efficacy as Hole Transport Layer

Abstract

Organic‐based photosystem I (PSI) protein complex bio‐solar cells have appeared as strong candidates for very low‐cost and environmentally friendly photovoltaic devices. The main challenge is their low power conversion efficiency (PCE). Such bottleneck stage in efficiency could be improved from the aspects of the absorber layer and carrier transporting layers. The proposed efficient, eco‐friendly, and simple procedure by applying a uniform pulsed electric field to align PSI dipoles leads to improved significant efficiency. Herein, the experimentally found functional data to benchmark cells have been employed to validate the first PSI numerical model using solar cell capacitance simulator‐1D for the first time. Simulation results show a reasonable agreement with those of experimental. The performance response of the second indium tin oxide/PEDOT: PSS/PSI/Au model is evaluated by varying the physical parameters of the hole transport layer (HTL). PCE characteristic achieved a fourfold increment in the crucial conduction band offset region owing to the reasonable barrier formation of electrons in the HTL/absorber interface. The optimum doping concentration is authorized at a certain μp > 10−2 cm2 V−1 S−1 with an HTL thickness in the order of 102 nm estimating an efficient numerical model compared to the HTL‐free cell.