Homogeneous phase separation in polymer:Fullerene bulk heterojunction organic solar cells

Wei Long Xu; Bo Wu; Fei Zheng; Hua Bin Wang; Yu Zhu Wang; Feng Gang Bian; Xiao Tao Hao; Fu Rong ZHU

doi:10.1016/j.orgel.2015.06.042

Homogeneous phase separation in polymer:Fullerene bulk heterojunction organic solar cells

Wei Long Xu, Bo Wu, Fei Zheng, Hua Bin Wang, Yu Zhu Wang, Feng Gang Bian, Xiao Tao Hao^*, Fu Rong ZHU^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › peer-review

36 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Phase separation in donor/acceptor bulk heterojunction (BHJ) significantly affects the exciton dissociation and charge collection in organic solar cells (OSCs). In this work, the dynamics of phase separation in poly[[4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy] benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′] dithiophene-2,6-diyl] [3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl) carbonyl] thieno [3,4-b] thiophenediyl]] (PTB7):[6,6]-phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PC₇₀BM) based BHJ is analyzed. Solvent additive diiodooctane selectively dissolves PC₇₀BM aggregation to form homogeneous distribution in PTB7 matrix. Quantitative analyses show that the size of PC₇₀BM domains decreases from 67 nm to 38 nm with the addition of solvent additive. The vertical phase separation in PTB7:PC₇₀BM BHJ was studied by the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurement and its effect on the performance of the regular and inverted OSCs was examined. Compare to the vertical phase separation occurred in the poly(3-hexylthiophene):PCBM system, the homogeneous vertical phase separation observed in the PTB7:PC₇₀BM BHJ favors an enhanced exciton dissociation process for attaining high performing OSCs.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	266-274
Number of pages	9
Journal	Organic Electronics
Volume	25
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgel.2015.06.042
Publication status	Published - 6 Jul 2015

Scopus Subject Areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Biomaterials
General Chemistry
Condensed Matter Physics
Materials Chemistry
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

User-Defined Keywords

Bulk heterojunction
Homogeneous distribution
Organic solar cells
Phase separation

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.orgel.2015.06.042

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@article{660a51c88ef2465b9621404c8915c525,

title = "Homogeneous phase separation in polymer:Fullerene bulk heterojunction organic solar cells",

abstract = "Phase separation in donor/acceptor bulk heterojunction (BHJ) significantly affects the exciton dissociation and charge collection in organic solar cells (OSCs). In this work, the dynamics of phase separation in poly[[4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy] benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′] dithiophene-2,6-diyl] [3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl) carbonyl] thieno [3,4-b] thiophenediyl]] (PTB7):[6,6]-phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PC70BM) based BHJ is analyzed. Solvent additive diiodooctane selectively dissolves PC70BM aggregation to form homogeneous distribution in PTB7 matrix. Quantitative analyses show that the size of PC70BM domains decreases from 67 nm to 38 nm with the addition of solvent additive. The vertical phase separation in PTB7:PC70BM BHJ was studied by the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurement and its effect on the performance of the regular and inverted OSCs was examined. Compare to the vertical phase separation occurred in the poly(3-hexylthiophene):PCBM system, the homogeneous vertical phase separation observed in the PTB7:PC70BM BHJ favors an enhanced exciton dissociation process for attaining high performing OSCs.",

keywords = "Bulk heterojunction, Homogeneous distribution, Organic solar cells, Phase separation",

author = "Xu, {Wei Long} and Bo Wu and Fei Zheng and Wang, {Hua Bin} and Wang, {Yu Zhu} and Bian, {Feng Gang} and Hao, {Xiao Tao} and ZHU, {Fu Rong}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by the “National Young 1000 Talents” Program and Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education (Grant No. 20130131110004). F.R. Zhu acknowledges the financial support from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China. Project No. T23-713/11, GRF12303114, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61275037 ), and HKBU Faculty Research Grant FRG2/13-14/072. H.B. Wang is grateful for the financial supports from Chongqing Municipality, China (cstc2013yykfC00007), Chinese Academy of Sciences (a scientific equipment research project) and the national basic research program of China (2015CB755401).",

year = "2015",

month = jul,

day = "6",

doi = "10.1016/j.orgel.2015.06.042",

language = "English",

volume = "25",

pages = "266--274",

journal = "Organic Electronics",

issn = "1566-1199",

publisher = "Elsevier BV",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Homogeneous phase separation in polymer:Fullerene bulk heterojunction organic solar cells

AU - Xu, Wei Long

AU - Wu, Bo

AU - Zheng, Fei

AU - Wang, Hua Bin

AU - Wang, Yu Zhu

AU - Bian, Feng Gang

AU - Hao, Xiao Tao

AU - ZHU, Fu Rong

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by the “National Young 1000 Talents” Program and Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education (Grant No. 20130131110004). F.R. Zhu acknowledges the financial support from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China. Project No. T23-713/11, GRF12303114, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61275037 ), and HKBU Faculty Research Grant FRG2/13-14/072. H.B. Wang is grateful for the financial supports from Chongqing Municipality, China (cstc2013yykfC00007), Chinese Academy of Sciences (a scientific equipment research project) and the national basic research program of China (2015CB755401).

PY - 2015/7/6

Y1 - 2015/7/6

N2 - Phase separation in donor/acceptor bulk heterojunction (BHJ) significantly affects the exciton dissociation and charge collection in organic solar cells (OSCs). In this work, the dynamics of phase separation in poly[[4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy] benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′] dithiophene-2,6-diyl] [3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl) carbonyl] thieno [3,4-b] thiophenediyl]] (PTB7):[6,6]-phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PC70BM) based BHJ is analyzed. Solvent additive diiodooctane selectively dissolves PC70BM aggregation to form homogeneous distribution in PTB7 matrix. Quantitative analyses show that the size of PC70BM domains decreases from 67 nm to 38 nm with the addition of solvent additive. The vertical phase separation in PTB7:PC70BM BHJ was studied by the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurement and its effect on the performance of the regular and inverted OSCs was examined. Compare to the vertical phase separation occurred in the poly(3-hexylthiophene):PCBM system, the homogeneous vertical phase separation observed in the PTB7:PC70BM BHJ favors an enhanced exciton dissociation process for attaining high performing OSCs.

AB - Phase separation in donor/acceptor bulk heterojunction (BHJ) significantly affects the exciton dissociation and charge collection in organic solar cells (OSCs). In this work, the dynamics of phase separation in poly[[4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy] benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′] dithiophene-2,6-diyl] [3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl) carbonyl] thieno [3,4-b] thiophenediyl]] (PTB7):[6,6]-phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PC70BM) based BHJ is analyzed. Solvent additive diiodooctane selectively dissolves PC70BM aggregation to form homogeneous distribution in PTB7 matrix. Quantitative analyses show that the size of PC70BM domains decreases from 67 nm to 38 nm with the addition of solvent additive. The vertical phase separation in PTB7:PC70BM BHJ was studied by the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurement and its effect on the performance of the regular and inverted OSCs was examined. Compare to the vertical phase separation occurred in the poly(3-hexylthiophene):PCBM system, the homogeneous vertical phase separation observed in the PTB7:PC70BM BHJ favors an enhanced exciton dissociation process for attaining high performing OSCs.

KW - Bulk heterojunction

KW - Homogeneous distribution

KW - Organic solar cells

KW - Phase separation

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U2 - 10.1016/j.orgel.2015.06.042

DO - 10.1016/j.orgel.2015.06.042

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:84934767241

SN - 1566-1199

VL - 25

SP - 266

EP - 274

JO - Organic Electronics

JF - Organic Electronics

ER -

Homogeneous phase separation in polymer:Fullerene bulk heterojunction organic solar cells

Abstract

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