Abstract

Potassium sulfide doped with silver (K2S:Ag) nanoparticles were used in bulk heterojunction organic solar cells to assist in harvesting more photons using an absorber layer composed of poly (3-hexylthiophene) and (6,6)-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester blend (P3HT:PCBM). The optical and electrical properties of the organic-molecule-blended thin photoactive films were investigated using optical spectrometers and a computer-interfaced source meter coupled with a solar simulator. The structure and composition of the nanoparticles were examined by high resolution scanning and transmission electron microscopies. The measured photovoltaic parameters indicated that solar cell performance was dependent on the concentration of K2S:Ag nanoparticles in the P3HT:PCBM blended film. Consequently, enhanced photocurrent was recorded from the devices with a short circuit current as high as 15.8 mA cm−2, fill factor of 57.2%, and power conversion efficiency of 5.12%, representing a 15% and 97% growth in fill factor and power conversion efficiency, respectively, compared to the reference device. The results were attributed to the occurrence of localized surface plasmon resonance and the light scattering effect of K2S:Ag in the photoactive medium.

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