Issue 39, 2011
From the journal:

Journal of Materials Chemistry

In situ measurement of power conversion efficiency and molecular ordering during thermal annealing in P3HT:PCBM bulk heterojunction solar cells†

Neil D. Treat,ab   Chris G. Shuttle,b   Michael F. Toney,d   Craig J. Hawker*abc  and  Michael L. Chabinyc*ab  

* Corresponding authors

a Materials Research Laboratory, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

b Materials Department, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

c Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

d Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA

Abstract

Bulk heterojunction organic solar cells hold much promise as commercially viable sources of renewable energy due to their relatively inexpensive fabrication. Developing a fundamental knowledge of how processing conditions influence solar power conversion efficiency will enable rational and efficient design, optimization, and control of new organic solar cell materials. In this report, we use a combination of in situ current–voltage measurements and grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering experiments at elevated temperature to correlate the changes in photoconversion efficiency to the changes in the molecular ordering of a poly(3-hexylthiophene):[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM) bulk heterojunction active layer. In situ measurements of current–voltage characteristics were used to optimize the power conversion efficiency and the resulting thermal processing was in agreement with studies from repeated heating and cooling cycles. The improvements in short circuit current with thermal annealing were correlated to an increase in the population of face-on oriented crystallites of P3HT rather than improvements in molecular ordering of PCBM.

Graphical abstract: In situ measurement of power conversion efficiency and molecular ordering during thermal annealing in P3HT:PCBM bulk heterojunction solar cells

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Article information

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1039/C1JM12677F
Article type
Paper
Submitted
10 Jun 2011
Accepted
01 Aug 2011
First published
24 Aug 2011

J. Mater. Chem., 2011,21, 15224-15231

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In situ measurement of power conversion efficiency and molecular ordering during thermal annealing in P3HT:PCBM bulk heterojunction solar cells

N. D. Treat, C. G. Shuttle, M. F. Toney, C. J. Hawker and M. L. Chabinyc, J. Mater. Chem., 2011, 21, 15224 DOI: 10.1039/C1JM12677F

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