Fullerene-free polymer solar cells with highly reduced bimolecular recombination and field-independent charge carrier generation

Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters

Volumn 5, Issue 16, 2014, Pages 2815-2822

  Roland, Steffen ^a   Schubert, Marcel ^a   Collins, Brian A ^b,c   Kurpiers, Jona ^a   Chen, Zhihua ^d   Facchetti, Antonio ^d   Ade, Harald ^b   Neher, Dieter ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF POTSDAM   (Germany)

^b NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^c NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY   (United States)

^d POLYERA CORPORATION   (United States)

Author keywords

all polymer solar cells; bimolecular recombination; domain purity; organic solar cells; photocurrent generation; reduced recombination

Indexed keywords

FULLERENES; HETEROJUNCTIONS; POLYMERS;

ALL-POLYMER SOLAR CELLS; BIMOLECULAR RECOMBINATION; DOMAIN PURITY; ORGANIC SOLAR CELL; PHOTOCURRENT GENERATIONS; REDUCED RECOMBINATION;

SOLAR CELLS;

EID: 84906482876     PISSN: None     EISSN: 19487185     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1021/jz501506z     Document Type: Article

References (57)

1. You, J.; Dou, L.; Yoshimura, K.; Kato, T.; Ohya, K.; Moriarty, T.; Emery, K.; Chen, C.-C.; Gao, J.; Li, G. A Polymer Tandem Solar Cell with 10.6% Power Conversion Efficiency Nat. Commun. 2013, 4, 1446
2. Vandewal, K.; Albrecht, S.; Hoke, E. T.; Graham, K. R.; Widmer, J.; Douglas, J. D.; Schubert, M.; Mateker, W. R.; Bloking, J. T.; Burkhard, G. F. Efficient Charge Generation by Relaxed Charge-Transfer States at Organic Interfaces Nat. Mater. 2014, 13, 63-68
3. Guo, X.; Zhou, N.; Lou, S. J.; Smith, J.; Tice, D. B.; Hennek, J. W.; Ortiz, R. P.; Navarrete, J. T. L.; Li, S.; Strzalka, J. Polymer Solar Cells with Enhanced Fill Factors Nat. Photonics 2013, 7, 825-833
4. Park, S. H.; Roy, A.; Beaupre, S.; Cho, S.; Coates, N.; Moon, J. S.; Moses, D.; Leclerc, M.; Lee, K.; Heeger, A. J. Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells with Internal Quantum Efficiency Approaching 100% Nat. Photonics 2009, 3, 297-302
5. Mikroyannidis, J. A.; Stylianakis, M. M.; Sharma, G. D.; Balraju, P.; Roy, M. S. A Novel Alternating Phenylenevinylene Copolymer with Perylene Bisimide Units: Synthesis, Photophysical, Electrochemical, and Photovoltaic Properties J. Phys. Chem. C 2009, 113, 7904-7912
6. Zhan, X.; Tan, Z. a.; Domercq, B.; An, Z.; Zhang, X.; Barlow, S.; Li, Y.; Zhu, D.; Kippelen, B.; Marder, S. R. A High-Mobility Electron-Transport Polymer with Broad Absorption and Its Use in Field-Effect Transistors and All-Polymer Solar Cells J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 7246-7247
7. Tan, Z. a.; Zhou, E.; Zhan, X.; Wang, X.; Li, Y.; Barlow, S.; Marder, S. R. Efficient All-Polymer Solar Cells Based on Blend of Tris(Thienylenevinylene)- Substituted Polythiophene and Poly[perylene diimide- alt -bis(dithienothiophene) ] Appl. Phys. Lett. 2008, 93, 073309
8. Hwang, Y.-J.; Ren, G.; Murari, N. M.; Jenekhe, S. A. N-Type Naphthalene Diimide-Biselenophene Copolymer for All-Polymer Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells Macromolecules 2012, 45, 9056-9062
9. Facchetti, A. Polymer Donor-Polymer Acceptor (All-Polymer) Solar Cells J. Mater. Today 2013, 16, 123-132
10. Blakesley, J. C.; Schubert, M.; Steyrleuthner, R.; Chen, Z. H.; Facchetti, A.; Neher, D. Time-of-Flight Measurements and Vertical Transport in a High Electron-Mobility Polymer Appl. Phys. Lett. 2011, 99, 1833103
11. Caironi, M.; Bird, M.; Fazzi, D.; Chen, Z. H.; Di Pietro, R.; Newman, C.; Facchetti, A.; Sirringhaus, H. Very Low Degree of Energetic Disorder as the Origin of High Mobility in an N-Channel Polymer Semiconductor Adv. Funct. Mater. 2011, 21, 3371-3381
12. Chen, Z.; Zheng, Y.; Yan, H.; Facchetti, A. Naphthalenedicarboximide- vs Perylenedicarboximide-Based Copolymers. Synthesis and Semiconducting Properties in Bottom-Gate N-Channel Organic Transistors J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 8-9
13. Fabiano, S.; Chen, Z.; Vahedi, S.; Facchetti, A.; Pignataro, B.; Loi, M. A. Role of Photoactive Layer Morphology in High Fill Factor All-Polymer Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells J. Mater. Chem. 2011, 21, 5891-5896
14. Moore, J. R.; Albert-Seifried, S.; Rao, A.; Massip, S.; Watts, B.; Morgan, D. J.; Friend, R. H.; McNeill, C. R.; Sirringhaus, H. Polymer Blend Solar Cells Based on a High-Mobility Naphthalenediimide-Based Polymer Acceptor Device Physics, Photophysics and Morphology Adv. Energy Mater. 2011, 1, 230-240
15. Rivnay, J.; Steyrleuthner, R.; Jimison, L. H.; Casadei, A.; Chen, Z. H.; Toney, M. F.; Facchetti, A.; Neher, D.; Salleo, A. Drastic Control of Texture in a High Performance N-Type Polymeric Semiconductor and Implications for Charge Transport Macromolecules 2011, 44, 5246-5255
16. Steyrleuthner, R.; Schubert, M.; Howard, I.; Klaumunzer, B.; Schilling, K.; Chen, Z. H.; Saalfrank, P.; Laquai, F.; Facchetti, A.; Neher, D. Aggregation in a High-Mobility N-Type Low-Bandgap Copolymer with Implications on Semicrystalline Morphology J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 18303-18317
17. Takacs, C. J.; Treat, N. D.; Kramer, S.; Chen, Z. H.; Facchetti, A.; Chabinyc, M. L.; Heeger, A. J. Remarkable Order of a High-Performance Polymer Nano Lett. 2013, 13, 2522-2527
18. Schubert, M.; Dolfen, D.; Frisch, J.; Roland, S.; Steyrleuthner, R.; Stiller, B.; Chen, Z. H.; Scherf, U.; Koch, N.; Facchetti, A. Influence of Aggregation on the Performance of All-Polymer Solar Cells Containing Low-Bandgap Naphthalenediimide Copolymers Adv. Energy. Mater. 2012, 2, 369-380
19. Steyrleuthner, R.; Schubert, M.; Jaiser, F.; Blakesley, J. C.; Chen, Z.; Facchetti, A.; Neher, D. Bulk Electron Transport and Charge Injection in a High Mobility N-Type Semiconducting Polymer Adv. Mater. 2010, 22, 2799-2803
20. Yan, H.; Chen, Z. H.; Zheng, Y.; Newman, C.; Quinn, J. R.; Dotz, F.; Kastler, M.; Facchetti, A. A High-Mobility Electron-Transporting Polymer for Printed Transistors Nature 2009, 457, 679-686
21. Schuettfort, T.; Huettner, S.; Lilliu, S.; Macdonald, J. E.; Thomsen, L.; McNeill, C. R. Surface and Bulk Structural Characterization of a High-Mobility Electron-Transporting Polymer Macromolecules 2011, 44, 1530-1539
22. Facchetti, A. Pi-Conjugated Polymers for Organic Electronics and Photovoltaic Cell Applications Chem. Mater. 2011, 23, 733-758
23. Steyrleuthner, R.; Di Pietro, R.; Collins, B. A.; Polzer, F.; Himmelberger, S.; Schubert, M.; Chen, Z.; Zhang, S.; Salleo, A.; Ade, H. The Role of Regioregularity, Crystallinity, and Chain Orientation on Electron Transport in a High-Mobility N-Type Copolymer J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014, 136, 4245-4256
24. Rivnay, J.; Toney, M. F.; Zheng, Y.; Kauvar, I. V.; Chen, Z. H.; Wagner, V.; Facchetti, A.; Salleo, A. Unconventional Face-on Texture and Exceptional In-Plane Order of a High Mobility N-Type Polymer Adv. Mater. 2010, 22, 4359-4363
25. Schubert, M.; Collins, B. A.; Mangold, H.; Howard, I. A.; Schindler, W.; Vandewal, K.; Roland, S.; Behrends, J.; Kraffert, F.; Steyrleuthner, R. Correlated Donor/Acceptor Crystal Orientation Controls Photocurrent Generation in All-Polymer Solar Cells Adv. Funct. Mater. 2014, 24, 4068-4081
26. Mori, D.; Benten, H.; Okada, I.; Ohkita, H.; Ito, S. Low-Bandgap Donor/Acceptor Polymer Blend Solar Cells with Efficiency Exceeding 4% Adv. Energy Mater. 2014, 4, 1301006
27. Zhou, Y.; Kurosawa, T.; Ma, W.; Guo, Y.; Fang, L.; Vandewal, K.; Diao, Y.; Wang, C.; Yan, Q.; Reinspach, J. High Performance All-Polymer Solar Cell via Polymer Side-Chain Engineering Adv. Mater. 2014, 26, 3767-3772
28. Kniepert, J.; Schubert, M.; Blakesley, J. C.; Neher, D. Photogeneration and Recombination in P3HT:PCBM Solar Cells Probed by Time-Delayed Collection Field Experiments J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2011, 2, 700-705
29. Dang, M. T.; Hirsch, L.; Wantz, G. P3HT:PCBM, Best Seller in Polymer Photovoltaic Research Adv. Mater. 2011, 23, 3597-3602
30. McNeill, C. R.; Watts, B.; Thomsen, L.; Ade, H.; Greenham, N. C.; Dastoor, P. C. X-ray Microscopy of Photovoltaic Polyfluorene Blends: Relating Nanomorphology to Device Performance Macromolecules 2007, 40, 3263-3270
31. Arias, A. C.; MacKenzie, J. D.; Stevenson, R.; Halls, J. J. M.; Inbasekaran, M.; Woo, E. P.; Richards, D.; Friend, R. H. Photovoltaic Performance and Morphology of Polyfluorene Blends: A Combined Microscopic and Photovoltaic Investigation Macromolecules 2001, 34, 6005-6013
32. Albrecht, S.; Schindler, W.; Kurpiers, J.; Kniepert, J.; Blakesley, J. C.; Dumsch, I.; Allard, S.; Fostiropoulos, K.; Scherf, U.; Neher, D. On the Field Dependence of Free Charge Carrier Generation and Recombination in Blends of PCPDTBT:PC70BM: Influence of Solvent Additives J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2012, 3, 640-645
33. Cowan, S. R.; Banerji, N.; Leong, W. L.; Heeger, A. J. Charge Formation, Recombination, and Sweep-Out Dynamics in Organic Solar Cells Adv. Funct. Mater. 2012, 22, 1116-1128
34. Mandoc, M. M.; Veurman, W.; Koster, L. J. A.; de Boer, B.; Blom, P. W. M. Origin of the Reduced Fill Factor and Photocurrent in MDMO-PPV:PCNEPV All-Polymer Solar Cells Adv. Energy Mater. 2007, 17, 2167-2173
35. Yin, C.; Schubert, M.; Bange, S.; Stiller, B.; Castellani, M.; Neher, D.; Kumke, M.; Horhold, H. H. Tuning of the Excited-State Properties and Photovoltaic Performance in PPV-Based Polymer Blends J. Phys. Chem. C 2008, 112, 14607-14617
36. He, X. M.; Gao, F.; Tu, G. L.; Hasko, D.; Huttner, S.; Steiner, U.; Greenham, N. C.; Friend, R. H.; Huck, W. T. S. Formation of Nanopatterned Polymer Blends in Photovoltaic Devices Nano Lett. 2010, 10, 1302-1307
37. Tress, W.; Corvers, S.; Leo, K.; Riede, M. Investigation of Driving Forces for Charge Extraction in Organic Solar Cells: Transient Photocurrent Measurements on Solar Cells Showing S-Shaped Current-Voltage Characteristics Adv. Energy Mater. 2013, 3, 873-880
38. Kniepert, J.; Lange, I.; van der Kaap, N. J.; Koster, L. J. A.; Neher, D. A Conclusive View on Charge Generation, Recombination, and Extraction in as-Prepared and Annealed P3HT:PCBM Blends: Combined Experimental and Simulation Work Adv. Energy Mater. 2014, 4, 1301401
39. Albrecht, S.; Tumbleston, J. R.; Janietz, S.; Dumsch, I.; Allard, S.; Scherf, U.; Ade, H.; Neher, D. Quantifying Charge Extraction in Organic Solar Cells: The Case of Fluorinated PCPDTBT J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2014, 5, 1131-1138
40. Turner, S. T.; Pingel, P.; Steyrleuthner, R.; Crossland, E. J. W.; Ludwigs, S.; Neher, D. Quantitative Analysis of Bulk Heterojunction Films Using Linear Absorption Spectroscopy and Solar Cell Performance Adv. Funct. Mater. 2011, 21, 4640-4652
41. Mihailetchi, V. D.; Xie, H. X.; de Boer, B.; Koster, L. J. A.; Blom, P. W. M. Charge Transport and Photocurrent Generation in Poly(3-hexylthiophene): Methanofullerene Bulk-Heterojunction Solar Cells Adv. Funct. Mater. 2006, 16, 699-708
42. Pivrikas, A.; Juska, G.; Mozer, A. J.; Scharber, M.; Arlauskas, K.; Sariciftci, N. S.; Stubb, H.; Osterbacka, R. Bimolecular Recombination Coefficient as a Sensitive Testing Parameter for Low-Mobility Solar-Cell Materials Phys. Rev. Lett. 2005, 94, 176806
43. Shuttle, C. G.; O'Regan, B.; Ballantyne, A. M.; Nelson, J.; Bradley, D. D. C.; Durrant, J. R. Bimolecular Recombination Losses in Polythiophene: Fullerene Solar Cells Phys. Rev. B 2008, 78, 113201
44. Hamilton, R.; Shuttle, C. G.; O'Regan, B.; Hammant, T. C.; Nelson, J.; Durrant, J. R. Recombination in Annealed and Nonannealed Polythiophene/Fullerene Solar Cells: Transient Photovoltage Studies versus Numerical Modeling J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2010, 1, 1432-1436
45. Maurano, A.; Hamilton, R.; Shuttle, C. G.; Ballantyne, A. M.; Nelson, J.; O'Regan, B.; Zhang, W. M.; McCulloch, I.; Azimi, H.; Morana, M. Recombination Dynamics as a Key Determinant of Open Circuit Voltage in Organic Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells: A Comparison of Four Different Donor Polymers Adv. Mater. 2010, 22, 4987-4992
46. Yang, B.; Yuan, Y.; Huang, J. Reduced Bimolecular Charge Recombination Loss in Thermally Annealed Bilayer Heterojunction Photovoltaic Devices with Large External Quantum Efficiency and Fill Factor J. Phys. Chem. C 2014, 118, 5196-5202
47. Zalar, P.; Kuik, M.; Ran, N. A.; Love, J. A.; Nguyen, T.-Q. Effects of Processing Conditions on the Recombination Reduction in Small Molecule Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells Adv. Energy Mater. 2014, 1400438
48. Kniepert, J.; Schubert, M.; Blakesley, J. C.; Neher, D. Photogeneration and Recombination in P3HT/PCBM Solar Cells Probed by Time-Delayed Collection Field Experiments J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2011, 2, 700-705
49. Lyons, B. P.; Clarke, N.; Groves, C. The Relative Importance of Domain Size, Domain Purity and Domain Interfaces to the Performance of Bulk-Heterojunction Organic Photovoltaics Energy Environ. Sci. 2012, 5, 7657-7663
50. Fabiano, S.; Himmelberger, S.; Drees, M.; Chen, Z.; Altamimi, R. M.; Salleo, A.; Loi, M. A.; Facchetti, A. Charge Transport Orthogonality in All-Polymer Blend Transistors, Diodes, and Solar Cells Adv. Energy Mater. 2014, 4, 1301409
51. Collins, B. A.; Li, Z.; Tumbleston, J. R.; Gann, E.; McNeill, C. R.; Ade, H. Absolute Measurement of Domain Composition and Nanoscale Size Distribution Explains Performance in PTB7:PC71BM Solar Cells Adv. Energy Mater. 2013, 3, 65-74
52. Albrecht, S.; Janietz, S.; Schindler, W.; Frisch, J.; Kurpiers, J.; Kniepert, J.; Inal, S.; Pingel, P.; Fostiropoulos, K.; Koch, N. Fluorinated Copolymer PCPDTBT with Enhanced Open-Circuit Voltage and Reduced Recombination for Highly Efficient Polymer Solar Cells J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 14932-14944
53. Ma, W.; Tumbleston, J. R.; Wang, M.; Gann, E.; Huang, F.; Ade, H. Domain Purity, Miscibility, and Molecular Orientation at Donor/Acceptor Interfaces in High Performance Organic Solar Cells: Paths to Further Improvement Adv. Energy Mater. 2013, 3, 864-872
54. Collins, B. A.; Gann, E.; Guignard, L.; He, X.; McNeill, C. R.; Ade, H. Molecular Miscibility of Polymer-Fullerene Blends J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2010, 1, 3160-3166
55. Collins, B. A.; Tumbleston, J. R.; Ade, H. Miscibility, Crystallinity, and Phase Development in P3HT/PCBM Solar Cells: Toward an Enlightened Understanding of Device Morphology and Stability J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011, 2, 3135-3145
56. Miller, N. C.; Cho, E.; Gysel, R.; Risko, C.; Coropceanu, V.; Miller, C. E.; Sweetnam, S.; Sellinger, A.; Heeney, M.; McCulloch, I. Factors Governing Intercalation of Fullerenes and Other Small Molecules between the Side Chains of Semiconducting Polymers Used in Solar Cells Adv. Energy Mater. 2012, 2, 1208-1217
57. Gann, E.; Young, A. T.; Collins, B. A.; Yan, H.; Nasiatka, J.; Padmore, H. A.; Ade, H.; Hexemer, A.; Wang, C. Soft X-ray Scattering Facility at the Advanced Light Source with Real-Time Data Processing and Analysis Rev. Sci. Instrum. 2012, 83, 045110