Issue 11, 2014

Room temperature solution processed tungsten carbide as an efficient hole extraction layer for organic photovoltaics

Abstract

We demonstrated tungsten carbide (WC) as an efficient anode buffer layer for a high-performance inverted organic solar cell. The devices based on active layers comprised of either poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) or 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) mixed with fullerene derivatives have achieved power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 3.83% and 8.04%, respectively. The WC layer was deposited onto the active layer from a surfactant-free nanoparticle alcohol solution because the buffer layer was well functionalized, removing the requirement for oxygen-plasma or annealing treatment, while simultaneously allowing for optimum photogenerated charge-carrier collection in an inverted structure device. The WC-based device displayed an improved stability performance compared with the MoO3-based one. The anode buffer layer introduced here was easy to implement and compatible with solution processed organic photovoltaics, and therefore applicable for potential cost-effective manufacturing processes.

Graphical abstract: Room temperature solution processed tungsten carbide as an efficient hole extraction layer for organic photovoltaics

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 Sep 2013
Accepted
13 Dec 2013
First published
16 Dec 2013

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2014,2, 3734-3740

Author version available

Room temperature solution processed tungsten carbide as an efficient hole extraction layer for organic photovoltaics

W. Cui, Z. Wu, C. Liu, M. Wu, T. Ma, S. Wang, S. Lee and B. Sun, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2014, 2, 3734 DOI: 10.1039/C3TA13473C

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