Highly Efficient Hybrid Bulk Heterojunction Organic Solar Cells Integrating PbS Nanoparticles

A brief study on the binary and ternary blended nanostructured based hybrid organic solar cells was conducted. The active layer of the prepared devices composed of constant ratios of the electron donating organic semiconductor, P3HT-poly(3-hexylthiophene) and the electron accepting fullerene PCBM-[6,6] phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester with various ratios of an inorganic semiconductor PbS dissolved in CB-chlorobenzene and DCB. The effect of various concentrations of nanoparticles on the performance of P3HT/PCBM was examined. The PCE—power conversion efficiency with NPs doping in the polymer active layer was improved significantly under standard irradiance (100 mW/cm², AM1.5G). This increase in efficiency was owing to decrease in series resistance-Rs with the conjugation of PbS NPs in a blend of the organics active layer. The morphological and optical properties were investigated with FESEM, AFM and UV-visible spectrophotometer respectively.