PCBM Research Articles

Mechanism of Carrier Formation in P3HT-C60-PCBM Solar Cells.

Solar cells convert light energy directly into electricity using semiconductor materials. The ternary system, composed of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), fullerene (C60), and phenyl-C61-butyric-acid-methyl-ester (PCBM), expressed as P3HT-C60-PCBM, is one of the most efficient organic solar cells. In the present study, the structures and electronic states of P3HT-C60-PCBM have been investigated by means of the density functional theory (DFT) method to shed light on the mechanism of charge separation in semiconductor materials. The thiophene hexamer was used as a model of P3HT. Five geometrical conformers were obtained as the C60-PCBM binary complexes. In the ternary system, P3HT wrapped around C60 in the stable structure of P3HT-C60-PCBM. The intermolecular distances for P3HT-(C60-PCBM) and (P3HT-C60)-PCBM were 3.255 and 2.885 Å, respectively. The binding energies of P3HT + (C60-PCBM) and (P3HT-C60) + PCBM were 27.2 and 19.1 kcal/mol, respectively. The charge transfer bands were found at the low-lying excited states of P3HT-C60-PCBM. These bands strongly correlated with the carrier separation and electron transfer in solar cells. The electronic states at the ground and excited states of P3HT-C60-PCBM were discussed on the basis of the calculated results.

Investigating the influence of Al2O3 doping on TiO2 optoelectronic properties and charge separation efficiency

In this study, Aluminum oxide (Al2O3) was utilized as a dopant in the crystal structure of titanium dioxide (TiO2) to enhance the photovoltaic efficiency of n-i-p type organic solar cells. These solar cells were fabricated using a thin film of TiO2 doped with Al2O3, serving as the electron transport layer. TiO2 thin films were synthesized using different Al2O3 concentrations (0 %, 0.25 %, 0.5 %, and 1 % w/V) through the spin-coating technique. A blend of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PC61BM) was spin-cast at 600 rpm for 30 s, forming the solar cells active layer. Organic solar cells with an n-i-p structure were constructed, following the configuration FTO/TiO2:Al2O3/P3HT:PC61BM/MoO3/Ag. Investigations have been conducted to examine how varying concentrations of Al2O3 doping affect the photovoltaic performance of the solar cells. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the produced solar cells showed an increase from 2.74 % to 3.53 % at a 0.5 % Al2O3 doping concentration. The solar cells performance has been improved by adjusting the concentration of Al2O3. The findings show that the addition of Al2O3 to TiO2 films improves power conversion efficiency.

Ternary Passivation for Enhanced Carrier Transport and Recombination Suppression in Highly Efficient Sn-Based Perovskite Solar Cells.

The exploration of nontoxic Sn-based perovskites as a viable alternative to their toxic Pb-based counterparts has garnered increased attention. However, the power conversion efficiency of Sn-based perovskite solar cells lags significantly behind their Pb-based counterparts. This study presents a ternary passivation strategy aimed at enhancing device performance, employing [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric-acid-methyl-ester (PCBM), poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), and indene C60 bisadduct (ICBA). These components play crucial roles in managing energy levels and enhancing carrier transportation, respectively. The results reveal that the introduction of the ternary system leads to improvements in carrier collection and transportation, accompanied by a suppression of the recombination process. Ultimately, the champion device achieves a remarkable performance with an efficiency of 14.64%. Notably, the device also exhibits robust operational and long-term stored stability.

Improving photovoltaic characteristics of CdS-based hybrid solar cells through Mn incorporation

CdS thin films, both with and without Mn-doping, were grown via chemical bath deposition on indium tin oxide-coated glass substrates for application in hybrid solar cells. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that Mn doping led to a deterioration in the crystal quality of CdS samples, evidenced by increased microstrain and dislocation density. Mn atoms were interstitially incorporated into the CdS structure, resulting in an expansion of the unit cell volume. Morphological analysis indicated a decrease in grain size from 390 nm to 140 nm for 0 % and 2 % Mn-doped CdS samples, respectively, while maintaining the spherical shape of the CdS thin films. Mn doping also increased the transmittance of CdS thin films, with the highest transparency of 95 % at 580 nm achieved for the 2 % Mn-doped CdS sample. In comparison to undoped CdS (2.38 eV), the band gap of CdS samples initially decreased to 1.84 eV for 1 % Mn doping but significantly increased to 3.03 eV for 2 % Mn-doped CdS. Photoluminescence (PL) data indicated that 2 % Mn-doped CdS thin films exhibited the lowest peak intensity, suggesting that a high concentration of Mn atoms caused non-radiative charge recombination. Additionally, efficient exciton dissociation was observed between CdS:Mn and P3HT:PCBM (poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM)) layers in the 2 % Mn-doped CdS-based device, as per the PL results. Photovoltaic measurements demonstrated that compared to undoped CdS, 2 % Mn doping increased the power conversion efficiency of the CdS-based device from 0.070 % to 0.202 %, indicating an almost threefold increase in hybrid solar cell efficiency. This improvement is likely attributed to the development of a better interface between the CdS:Mn and P3HT:PCBM layers.

Density functional theory study on the interaction of C60 fullerene with PCBM

Functionalized fullerenes are known as high-performance molecules. Herein, the interaction of C60 fullerene with Phenyl-C61-butyric-acid-methyl-ester (PCBM) is investigated by means of density functional theory method to elucidate the structures and electronic states of C60-PCMB complexes. C60-PCBM blends are typically used in solar cell. Studying the electronic structure of C60-PCBM is important for elucidating the mechanism of solar cells. The intermolecular distances for C60 and PCBM dimers were calculated to be 3.70 and 2.34 Å, respectively. In C60 dimer, the five membered ring of C60 interacted with the six membered ring of neighbour C60. Two hydrogen bonds between side chains of PCBM are connected in the PCBM dimer. The binding energies were 1.4 kcal mol−1 (C60 dimer) and 2.6 kcal mol−1 (PCBM dimer). In the C60-PCBM complex, five different structures were found to be stable. The binding energies were distributed in the range 1.6–3.7 kcal mol−1. The electronic states and excitation energies of C60-PCBM complexes and the basis set superposition error were discussed on theoretical results.

Self-Powered Wide-Narrow Bandgap-Laminated Perovskite Photodetector with Bipolar Photoresponse for Secure Optical Communication.

Perovskite photodetectors with bipolar photoresponse characteristics are expected to be applied in the field of secure optical communication (SOC). However, how to realize the perovskite photodetector with bipolar response remains challenging. Herein, by introducing bismuth iodide (BiI3 ) into Sn-Pb mixed perovskite precursor solution, 2D perovskite FA3 Bi2 I9 is spontaneously formed at the bottom to realize a wide-narrow bandgap-laminated perovskite film. Wavelength-dependent bipolar response is realized based on the absorption difference of the photoactive region with different bandgap combined with the carrier competition of the homotypic transport layer adopted in the as-fabricated photodetector. Under the visible/near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation, the bottom/top of the film generates a higher carrier concentration, where electrons are easier to be separated and transported by the SnO2 /PC61 BM to the bottom/top electrodes, respectively, resulting in a negative and positive bipolar response. Finally, based on positive NIR signal as the effective signal and negative visible signal as the interference signal, the SOC system is realized, where the positive NIR signal is well hidden by the negative visible signal. This work provides a simple and feasible strategy for fabrication of laminated perovskite films to achieve bipolar response.

Highly efficient lead-free ethyl ammonium substituted perovskite solar cell simulated using SCAPS 1D

This computational study investigated a lead (Pb)-free ethyl ammonium (EA) substituted ethylenediamine (EDA) based ((FA0.9EA0.1)0.98EDA0.01SnI3) perovskite solar cell (PSC) using the solar cell capacitance one-dimensional simulator (SCAPS 1D). The initial device schematic comprised ((FA0.9EA0.1)0.98EDA0.01SnI3) based perovskite as an absorber layer with copper (I) oxide (Cu2O) and [6,6] phenyl-C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) as hole and electron transport layers, where the device efficiency was 21.87%. The impacts of numerous electron transport layers (ETLs) and hole transport layers (HTLs) were also examined. The charge transport layers were optimized based on their energy levels and according to the relationship between the built-in potential (Vbi) and the open-circuit voltage (VOC). Numerical simulations showed that to circumvent the Vbi loss, the valence band (VB) maximum of HTL (EVB_HTL) should not be lower than the VB for perovskite (PVK) (EVB_PVK) for the appropriate selection of HTLs. Correspondingly, for the suitable selection of ETLs, the conduction band (CB) minimum of ETL (ECB_ETL) and the front contact should not be greater than the CB minimum for PVK (ECB_PVK). Therefore, the optimized ETLs and HTLs were obtained as zinc oxysulfide and copper (II) phthalocyanine, respectively, where the device's efficiency increased up to 22.36%. The effect of the thickness of the EDA-based PSCs was also examined and the optimized thickness was obtained as 1.1 μm, where the device's efficiency increased to 24.42%. This improvement in the performance of the device indicates that EA substituted EDA-based ((FA0.9EA0.1)0.98EDA0.01SnI3) PSC is a promising alternative for use in Pb-free PSCs.

Highly Efficient and Stable ITO-Free Organic Solar Cells Based on Squaraine N-Doped Quaternary Bulk Heterojunction.

Simultaneously achieving high efficiency and robust device stability remains a significant challenge for organic solar cells (OSCs). Solving this challenge is highly dependent on the film morphology of the bulk heterojunction (BHJ) photoactive blends; however, there is a lack of rational control strategy. Herein, it is shown that the molecular crystallinity and nanomorphology of nonfullerene-based BHJ can be effectively controlled by a squaraine-based doping strategy, leading to an increase in device efficiency from 17.26% to 18.5% when doping 2wt% squaraine into the PBDB-TF:BTP-eC9:PC71 BM ternary BHJ. The efficiency is further improved to 19.11% (certified 19.06%) using an indium-tin-oxide-free column-patterned microcavity (CPM) architecture. Combined with interfacial modification, CPM quaternary OSC excitingly shows an extrapolated lifetime of ≈23 years based on accelerated aging test, with the mechanism behind enhanced stability well studied. Furthermore, a flexible OSC module with a high and stable efficiency of 15.2% and an overall area of 5 cm2 is successfully fabricated, exhibiting a high average output power for wearable electronics. This work demonstrates that OSCs with new design of BHJ and device architecture are highly promising to be practical relevance with excellent performance and stability.

Facile fabrication of conductive graphitic carbon films as transparent electrodes in organic solar cells by ion beam irradiation of polystyrene films and carbonization

Conductive graphitic carbon films were fabricated from insulating polystyrene (PS) by ion beam irradiation and subsequent thermal treatment, and used as a transparent anode for organic solar cells (OSCs). Analyses of optical and chemical properties revealed that the thermally resistant oxidized carbon clusters in the PS precursors (spin-coated on quartz) were efficiently generated by ion beam irradiation at a fluence of 2 x 1016 ions/cm2, and transformed to graphitic carbon thin films through high-temperature treatment. The graphitic carbon films exhibited thickness-dependent conductivity (the highest conductivity of 374 S/cm), while their work function (5.20 eV) and surface roughness (0.560–0.596 nm) were unaffected by the thickness of the films. Furthermore, the introduction of the 10.2 nm-thick graphitic carbon films into poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT): [6,6]-phenyl-C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM)-based OSCs resulted in a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 1.40%, demonstrating the feasibility of using the graphitic carbon films as transparent electrodes.

Tissue Equivalent Curved Organic X-ray Detectors Utilizing High Atomic Number Polythiophene Analogues.

Organic semiconductors are a promising material candidate for X-ray detection. However, the low atomic number (Z) of organic semiconductors leads to poor X-ray absorption thus restricting their performance. Herein, the authors propose a new strategy for achieving high-sensitivity performance for X-ray detectors based on organic semiconductors modified with high -Z heteroatoms. X-ray detectors are fabricated with p-type organic semiconductors containing selenium heteroatoms (poly(3-hexyl)selenophene (P3HSe)) in blends with an n-type fullerene derivative ([6,6]-Phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PC70 BM). When characterized under 70, 100, 150, and 220kVp X-ray radiation, these heteroatom-containing detectors displayed a superior performance in terms of sensitivity up to 600 ± 11nCGy-1 cm-2 with respect to the bismuth oxide (Bi2 O3 ) nanoparticle (NP) sensitized organic detectors. Despite the lower Z of selenium compared to the NPs typically used, the authors identify a more efficient generation of electron-hole pairs, better charge transfer, and charge transport characteristics in heteroatom-incorporated detectors that result in this breakthrough detector performance. The authors also demonstrate flexible X-ray detectors that can be curved to a radius as low as 2mm with low deviation in X-ray response under 100 repeated bending cycles while maintaining an industry-standard ultra-low dark current of 0.03 ± 0.01pAmm-2 .

Induced Wettability Switch in Thin Films of Conductive Polymer Coatings Exhibiting Hydrophobic/Hydrophilic Interactions.

The hydrophobic/hydrophilic character of some conductive polymer (CP) coatings can be switched in the function of the working conditions of these adaptive materials. We studied the influence of electrical stimuli and intrinsic physical characteristics (nature of the polymerizable core, dopants, the droplet dimension and physical properties, surface roughness, etc.) on the CP wettability. A simulation strategy was developed for determining the contact angle (CA) of a liquid droplet on a CP layer with roughness. The method was tested for new reported CP composites, but with new dopants. The results indicate that the influences on the material wettability are correlated, and in practice, modification of more than one parameter converges to a wanted behavior of the material. E.g., the CP porous film of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) + [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyricacid-methyl-ester (PCBM) changes its wettability at voltages of up to 26 V, but if doping ions are inserted and the roughness geometry is modified, the voltage decreases twice. Our multi-parametrical study points out that the polymer wettability type is driven by the voltage, but this effect is tuned differently by each internal parameter. The thin films' effect and the dopants (in-situ and ex-situ) significantly decrease the actuation voltage. We also illustrated that the wettability type does not change for specific sets of parameters.

Capillary-Bridge Controlled Patterning of BTR:PC71BM Bulk Heterojunction Micro Arrays towards High-performance Photodetector.

The patterning strategy of organic semiconductorsisa crucialissue for integrated circuit. However, due to the uncontrollable liquid dewetting, most of the research is mainly focused on the patterning of single component, few works have been done on the patterning of multi-component or heterojunction, which play an important role in optoelectronic devices. Therefore, a capillary-bridge strategy was introduced for patterning of bulk heterojunction (BHJ) micro-arrays, with liquid crystalline BTR and PC71BM utilized as donor and acceptor, respectively. The BTR:PC71BM arrayspresentedhierarchical morphology with suitable phase separation, which contributes to the efficient charge generation and transport. Moreover, the photodetector exhibited excellent performancewiththe light on/off ratio higher than 2000, the responsivity of 40.57 A W-1, and specific detectivity of 2.15×1012Jones. Such progress demonstrates that the capillary-bridge strategy is a promising approach for the fabrication of high-quality BHJ micropatterns arrays.

Parametric extraction and internal analysis of fullerene-based polymer bulk heterojunction solar cell

This paper present device model simulation describing the current-voltage characteristics of polymer/fullerene bulk heterojunction solar cell. In the research paper an organic photovoltaic device with PPV/PCBM [poly (2-methoxy-5-{3’,7’-dimethyloctyloxy}-p-phenylene vinylene) and {6,6}- phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester] was simulated via Silvaco TCAD 2-D simulation tool. PCBM acts as acceptor and PPV is donor. The models used to simulate the device were Langevin for recombination, s.binding and a.singlet. Simulation of these type of devices is an vital approach to project and predict the cell performance. Under the illumination of one sun (AM 1.5) the simulated organic cell showed a short circuit current density (JSC) of 28 A/m2, open circuit voltage (VOC) of 0.84 Volt and a fill factor (FF) of 52.51%, the resulting maximum efficiency of the PPV/PCBM organic solar cell is 1.22%.

Application of Bis-Adducts of Phenyl-C61 Butyric Acid Methyl Ester in Promoting the Open-Circuit Voltage of Indoor Organic Photovoltaics.

Fullerene-based indoor OPVs, particularly phenyl-C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), has been regarded as a prospective harvesting indoor light energy source to drive low-power consumption electronic devices such as sensors and IoTs. Due to the low tunability of its inherently spherical structure, the performance of the fullerene-based indoor OPVs seem to hit a bottleneck compared with the non-fullerene materials. Here, we explore the potential application of fullerene derivative bis-PCBM in indoor OPVs, which owns a higher the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) level than PCBM. The results show that when blended with PCDTBT, bis-PCBM devices yield a high VOC of up to 1.05 V and 0.9 V under AM 1.5G illumination and 1000 lx indoor light, compared with the corresponding values of 0.93 V and 0.79 V for PCBM devices. Nevertheless, the disorders in bis-PCBM suppress the JSC and FF and, therefore, result in a lower efficiency compared to PCBM devices. However, the efficiency and stability differences between the two kinds of cells were much reduced under indoor light conditions. After further optimization of the material composition and fabrication process, bis-PCBM could be an alternative to PCBM, offering great potential for indoor OPV with high performance.

Lowering the dielectric mismatch for efficient inverted perovskite solar cells through incorporating cyano-functionalized fullerene additive

Fullerene derivatives especially [1,1]-phenyl-C61-butyric-acid-methyl-ester (PC61BM) have been commonly used as electron transport layers and additives of inverted (p-i-n) perovskite solar cells (PVKSCs); however the dielectric constant (the εr) of PC61BM (3.8) is much smaller than those of organolead halide hybrid perovskites (6.5 for CH3NH3PbI3 [MAPbI3]), resulting in unfavorable exciton dissociation and impeded interfacial charge transport and consequently undesirable nonradiative recombination. Herein, a novel cyanofunctionalized fullerene in which two cyano groups are incorporated via a rhodanine moiety (abbreviated C60-Rhd-CN) was synthesized and introduced into the MAPbI3 active layer to construct inverted PVKSCs via an anti-solvent method. The involvement of two electron-withdrawing cyano groups within C60-Rhd-CN obviously increases the εr value (5.1) relative to PC61BM (3.8), hence lowering the dielectric mismatch between MAPbI3 and fullerene. Besides, the cyano groups enable strong coordination interactions with the Pb2+ ions of MAP-bI3, rendering efficient defect passivation of perovskite. As a result, C60-Rhd-CN incorporation facilitates exciton dissociation and interfacial charge transport and suppresses the nonradiative recombination, affording dramatic power conversion efficiency (PCE) enhancement of inverted PVKSC devices from 18.43% to 20.81%. Furthermore, C60-Rhd-CN incorporation helps to improve the ambient and thermal stabilities of PVKSC devices. To elucidate the critical role of cyano groups in increasing the the εr value and efficiency enhancement, another analogous novel rhodanine-functionalized fullerene with the two cyano groups substituted by a sulfur atom (abbreviated C60-Rhd-S) was also synthesized, which delivered a lower PCE of 19.45% than C60-Rhd-CN-incorporated devices due mainly to its lower the εr value (4.0).

Doping with Niobium Nanoparticles as an Approach to Increase the Power Conversion Efficiency of P3HT:PCBM Polymer Solar Cells.

Metal additive processing in polymer: fullerene bulk heterojunction systems is recognized as a viable way for improving polymer photovoltage performance. In this study, the effect of niobium (Nb) metal nanoparticles at concentrations of 2, 4, 6, and 8 mg/mL on poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT)-6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) blends was analyzed. The effect of Nb volume concentration on polymer crystallinity, optical properties, and surface structure of P3HT and PCBM, as well as the enhancement of the performance of P3HT:PC61BM solar cells, are investigated. Absorption of the P3HT:PC61BM mix is seen to have a high intensity and a red shift at 500 nm. The reduction in PL intensity with increasing Nb doping concentrations indicates an increase in PL quenching, suggesting that the domain size of P3HT or conjugation length increases. With a high Nb concentration, crystallinity, material composition, surface roughness, and phase separation are enhanced. Nb enhances PCBM's solubility in P3HT and decreases the size of amorphous P3HT domains. Based on the J-V characteristics and the optoelectronic study of the thin films, the improvement results from a decreased recombination current, changes in morphology and crystallinity, and an increase in the effective exciton lifespan. At high doping concentrations of Nb nanoparticles, the development of the short-circuit current (JSC) is associated with alterations in the crystalline structure of P3HT. The highest-performing glass/ITO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT:PCBM:Nb/MoO3/Au structures have short-circuit current densities (JSC) of 16.86 mA/cm2, open-circuit voltages (VOC) of 466 mV, fill factors (FF) of 65.73%, and power conversion efficiency (µ) of 5.16%.

Collaborative Passivation for Dual Charge Transporting Layers Based on 4-(chloromethyl)benzonitrile Additive toward Efficient and Stable Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells.

Poor carrier transport capacity and numerous surface defects of charge transporting layers (CTLs), coupled with misalignment of energy levels between perovskites and CTLs, impact photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) of inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs) profoundly. Herein, a collaborative passivation strategy is proposed based on 4-(chloromethyl) benzonitrile (CBN) as a solution additive for fabrication of both [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methylester (PCBM) and poly(triarylamine) (PTAA) CTLs. This additive can improve wettability of PTAA and reduce the agglomeration of PCBM particles, which enhance the PCE and device stability of the PSCs. As a result, a PCE exceeding 20% with a remarkable short circuit current of 23.9mAcm-2 , and an improved fill factor of 81% is obtained for the CBN- modified inverted PSCs. Devices maintain 80% and 70% of the initial PCE after storage under 30% and 85% humidity ambient conditions for 1000h without encapsulation, as well as negligible light state PCE loss. This strategy demonstrates feasibility of the additive engineering to improve interfacial contact between the CTLs and perovskites for fabrication of efficient and stable inverted PSCs.

Non-Fullerene Electron Acceptors Based on Hybridisation of Corannulene and Thiophene-S,S-Dioxide Motifs.

Herein we show that hybridisation of buckybowl corannulene and thiophene-S,S-dioxide motifs is a general approach for the preparation of high electron affinity molecular materials. The devised synthesis is modular and relies on thienannulation of corannnulene-based phenylacetylene scaffolds. The final compounds are highly soluble in common organic solvents. These compounds also exhibit interesting optical properties such as absorption and emission in the blue/green regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Importantly, a bis-S,S-dioxide derivative exhibits three reversible reductions similar in their strength to the prevalent fullerene-based electron acceptor phenyl-C61 -butyric acid methyl ester (PC61 BM).

Flexible organic solar cell to power modern cardiac pacemakers: Versatile for all age groups, skin types and genders

Bio-medical electronic components execute an vital part in medical services. Powering these devices is a task. Thus, the biomedical electronic devices which are able to self-harvest and store power are in huge demand. Present pacemakers are powered by batteries which have limited volume for energy packing and are compulsory to be changed. This needs a surgical intervention and is costly, with attachment of complications and risk. The objective of this paper is to validate if a subdermal PPV-PCBM [poly (2-methoxy-5-{3′,7′-dimethyloctyloxy}-p-phenylene vinylene) and {6,6}-phenyl C61—butyric acid methyl ester] active layer bulk heterojunction (BHJ) organic photo-voltaic (OPV) device could power a cardiac pacemaker. Power yield of 0.05 milliWatts (mW), 0.45 milliWatts & 2.1 milliWatts for African, Asian & Caucasian skin tones are gained at 2-millimeter implementation depth, acceptable to operate cardiac pacemaker demanding approximate power of 10 microWatts. Additionally, results correspondingly display higher output power is generated if the skin is thinner and brighter.

Resolving Complex Photoconductivity of Perovskite and Organic Semiconductor Films Using Phase-Sensitive Microwave Interferometry

Complex transient photoconductivity (Δσ) contains rich fingerprints of charge recombination dynamics in photoactive films. However, a direct measure of both real (Δσ′) and imaginary (Δσ″) components has proven difficult using conventional cavity-based time-resolved microwave conductivity approaches. Here, we present a novel approach to resolve Δσ′ and Δσ″ parts of Δσ by using a nonresonant coplanar transmission line and a microwave interferometric detection scheme. The use of a phase-sensitive microwave interferometer greatly increases the measurement sensitivity and eliminates the requirement of a resonant cavity. This broadband detection scheme allows for direct measurement of Δσ. The relationship between the experimental phase shift and Δσ′ and Δσ″ components is decoded through an in situ electron spin resonance (ESR) measurement. ESR line shape analysis is used to confirm the assignment of the transients to the Δσ′ and Δσ″ components. We demonstrate the utility of this technique on thin films of poly(3-hexylthiophene): [6,6]-phenylC61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM) and perovskite MA0.85FA0.15PbI3 films on glass.