Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
High-Performance Bulk-Heterojunction
Polymer Solar Cells
Fang-Chung Chen, Chun-Hsien Chou and Ming-Kai Chuang
Abstract Most of the high-efficiency organic photovoltaic devices (OPVs)
reported to date have been fabricated based on the concept of a bulk heterojunction,
where a conjugated polymer (donor) and a soluble fullerene (acceptor) form an
interpenetrating network featuring a large donor-acceptor interfacial area. In this
chapter, we first introduce the fundamentals of OPVs and then review the recent
progress related to OPVs based on conjugated polymers. We then discuss the
annealing approaches that have been used to optimize the morphologies of the
photoactive layers, including thermal annealing and solvent annealing, and describe
the engineering of the interfaces at the contacts between the polymer blends and
the metal electrodes. Next, we outline the two most common optical methods for
improving the light absorption efficiency of OPVs: the use of optical spacers and the
triggering of surface plasmons. Finally, we summarize the development of low-
band-gap polymers for the absorption of long-wavelength photons from solar
irradiation and provide a brief outlook of the future use of OPVs.
1 Introduction
1.1 Overview
Many organic semiconductors exhibit the electronic properties of their common
inorganic counterparts while providing the advantages of plastic processing and
low cost. To date, several organic-based electronic devices, including organic
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