The effect of annealing treatment on performance of interdiffused organic photovoltaic devices

We fabricated the interdiffused organic photovoltaic devices, which composed of poly (2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-1, 4-phenylenevinylene) (MEH-PPV) and buckminsterfullerene (C-60), by annealing treatment. After annealing, C60 diffused into the MEH-PPV layer, in consequence, MEH-PPV/C-60 interfacial area was increased and their interface became closer proximity. The results lead to reduce reverse-bias saturation current (J(s)), and increase the open-circuit voltage (V-OC) and the short-circuit current (J(SC)).

Organic photovoltaic cell employing organic heterojunction as buffer layer

Hexadecafluorophthalocyaninatocopper (F16CuPc)/zine phthalocyanine (ZnPc) heterojunction layer has been used as buffer layer in organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells based on ZnPc and C-60. The F16CuPc/ZnPc heterojunction with highly conductive property decreased the contact resistance between the indium-tin-oxide anode and the organic layer. As a result, the short-circuit current density and fill factor were increased, and the power-conversion efficiency was improved by over 60%. Therefore, the method provides an effective path to improve the performance of OPV cells.

Surface potential images of polycrystalline organic semiconductors obtained by Kelvin probe force microscopy

P-type copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) and n-type hexadecafluorophthalocyanina-tocopper (F16CuPc) polycrystalline films were investigated by Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). Topographic and corresponding surface potential images are obtained simultaneously. Surface potential images are related with the local work function of crystalline facets and potential barriers at the grain boundaries (GBs) in organic semiconductors. Based on the spatial distribution of surface potential at GBs, donor- and acceptor-like trapping states in the grain boundaries (GBs) of p-CuPc and n-F16CuPc films are confirmed respectively.

Preparation and photovoltaic property of a new polyfluorene derivative/ZnO nanoparticles hybrid composites

A new kind of polyfluorene copolymers, poly(2,7-(9,9-dioctyl-fluorene)-alt-5,5 -(4',7'-di-2-thienyl-2',1',3',-benzothiadiazole) (PFDTBT), was prepared. The introduction of ZnO nanoparticles with perfect wurtzite crystal character into PFDTBT makes the resulted single-layer photovoltaic device to perform a significant photovoltaic response. Among the tested devices, the best performance is observed for that containing 60 wt% of ZnO nanoparticles, which has a photocurrent density of 1.17 mu A/cm(2), an open circuit voltage of 0.81 V. a fill factor of 0.09 and a power conversion efficiency of 0.009%. The results show that the polyfluorene derivatives/ZnO nanoparticles hybrid composites are excellent fluorescence and photovoltaic materials. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preparation and photovoltaic property of a new polyfluorene derivative/ZnO nanoparticles hybrid composites

A new kind of polyfluorene copolymers, poly(2,7-(9,9-dioctyl-fluorene)-alt-5,5 -(4',7'-di-2-thienyl-2',1',3',-benzothiadiazole) (PFDTBT), was prepared. The introduction of ZnO nanoparticles with perfect wurtzite crystal character into PFDTBT makes the resulted single-layer photovoltaic device to perform a significant photovoltaic response. Among the tested devices, the best performance is observed for that containing 60 wt% of ZnO nanoparticles, which has a photocurrent density of 1.17 mu A/cm(2), an open circuit voltage of 0.81 V. a fill factor of 0.09 and a power conversion efficiency of 0.009%. The results show that the polyfluorene derivatives/ZnO nanoparticles hybrid composites are excellent fluorescence and photovoltaic materials.

Synthesis and characterization of phenylene-thiophene all-conjugated diblock copolymers

Grignard metathesis (GRIM) polymerization for all-conjugated diblock copolymers comprising poly (2,5-dihexyloxy-1,4-phenylene) (PPP) and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) blocks were systematically studied with LiCl as additive and 1,2-bis (diphenylphosphino) ethane nickel dichloride (Ni(dppe)Cl-2) or 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino) propane nickel dichloride (Ni(dppp)Cl-2) as catalyst. It was found that the addition order of the monomers was crucial for the success of copolymerization. With the monomer addition in the order of phenyl and then thienyl Grignard reagents, all-conjugated PPP-b-P3HT diblock copolymers with different block ratios were successfully synthesized. In contrast, the inverted addition order only afforded a mixture containing both block copolymers and deactivated or end-capped homopolymers.

Synthesis and Characterizations of Poly(9,10-bisarylethynyl-2,6-anthrylene)s and Poly(9,10-bisalkynyl-2,6-anthrylene)

A poly(9,10-bisalkynyl-2,6-anthrylene) (PI) and five poly(9,10-bisarylethynyl-2,6-anthrylene)s(P2-P6) as soluble conjugated polymers have been synthesized and characterized. All polymers exhibit two-dimensional conjugated characteristics as indicated by absorption spectra comprising multi-bands in the range of 300-600 nm. Compared with P1, polymers P2-P5, which contain phenylethynyl substituents with the longer conjugation than alkynyl groups, exhibit a similar to 60 nm red shift of absorption edge. However, further increasing the conjugation length of the arylethynyl substituents (longer than phenylethynyl) has only a no effect on the conjugation of the polymer chains, while comparing the absorption spectra of P6 with those of P2-P5.

Monodisperse Co-oligomer Approach toward Nanostructured Films with Alternating Donor-Acceptor Lamellae

A series of donor-acceptor (D-A) co-oligomers with oligo(fluorene-alt-bithiophene) and perylene diimide as donor and acceptor segments, respectively, have been designed and synthesized. They can self-assembly into alternating D-A lamellar nanostructured films with the periods depending on the molecular length. These films have been successfully used in fabrication of high-performance single-molecular solar cells with power conversion efficiency up to 1.50%.

Poly(oligothiophene-alt-benzothiadiazole)s: Tuning the Structures of Oligothlophene Units toward High-Mobility "Black" Conjugated Polymers

A series of donor-acceptor low-bandgap conjugated polymers, i.e., PTnBT (n = 2-6), composed of alternating oligothiophene (OTh) and 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole (BT) units were synthesized by Stille cross-coupling polymerization. The number of thiophene rings in OTh units, that is n, was tuned from 2 to 6. All these polymers display two absorption bands in both solutions and films with absorption maxima depending on n. From solution to film, absorption spectra of the polymers exhibit a noticeable red shift. Both high- and low-energy absorption bands or P'F5BT and PT6BT films locate in the visible region, which are at 468 and 662 nm for PT5BT and 494 and 657 nm for PT6BT.

The first liquid crystalline phthalocyanine derivative capable of edge-on alignment for solution processed organic thin-film transistors

Tetraoctyl-substituted vanadyl phthalocyanine (OVPc4C8) as a new NIR-absorbing discotic liquid crystalline material can form highly ordered thin films with edge-on alignment of the molecules and molecular packing mode identical to that in the phase II of OVPc for solution processed OTFTs with mobility up to 0.017 cm(2) V-1 s(-1).

Synthesis and properties of ferrocene-functionalised polythiophene derivatives

The ferrocene-functionalised thiophene derivatives (TFn) with different length of oxyethylene chains were synthesized and polymerized chemically with iron (III) chloride as an oxidant. The resulting ferrocene-functionalised polythiophenes (PTFn) show good solubility in most solvents, such as chloroform (CHCl3) tetrahydrofuran (THF), acetone, etc. The structure and properties of the PTFn polymers were confirmed by IR, H-1 NMR, AFM and photoluminescence (PL). The polymers PTFn show good redox activity with no attenuation of the electroactivity after multiple potential cycling. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of fullerene solubility on the crystallization of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and performance of photovoltaic devices

The substantial crystallization suppression of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) in the untreated P3HT:C60 composite film prepared from o-dichlorobenzene (ODCB) solution has been revealed. Besides, the effective conjugation length of P3HT in this composite has been nearly maintained to that in the solution. The different crystallization behaviors of P3HT in its composites with C60 and [6,6]-phenyl C-61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) are mainly attributed to the relative solubility of C60 and PCBM with respect to P3HT in ODCB. The solution to overcome this disadvantage of chain conformation and crystallinity of P3HT in the composite with C60 is thus proposed and finalized by resorting to the addition of low volatile solvent with much higher solubility of C60 than P3HT into the main solvent used, so as P3HT can crystallize before C60 forms crystallites in the solution. The feasibility of this approach has been proven by the improved efficiency of devices based on composites of P3HT and the low cost C60 without resorting to post-treatments.

Constructing Thin Polythiophene Film Composed of Aligned Lamellae via Controlled Solvent Vapor Treatment

Thin poly(3-butylthiophene) (P3BT) film composed of aligned lamellae attached to the edge of the original film has been achieved via a controlled solvent vapor treatment (C-SVT) method. The polarized optical microscopy operated at both single-polarization and cross-polarization modes has been used to investigate the alignment of the fiber-like lamellae. A numerical simulation method is used to quantitatively calculate angle distributions of the lamellae deviated from the film growth direction. Prepatterned P3BT film edge acts as nuclei which densely initialize subsequent crystal growth by exhausting the materials transported from the partially dissolved film. The growth of new film upon crystallization is actually a self-healing process where the two-dimensional geometric confinement is mainly responsible for this parallel alignment of P3BT crystals. The solvent vapor pressure should be carefully chosen so as to induce crystal growth but avoid liquid instability which will destroy the continuity of the film.