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Solution processable tungsten polyoxometalate as highly effective cathode interlayer for improved efficiency and stability polymer solar cells

Solution processable tungsten polyoxometalate as highly effective cathode interlayer for improved efficiency and stability polymer solar cells
Solution processable tungsten polyoxometalate as highly effective cathode interlayer for improved efficiency and stability polymer solar cells

We report for the first time the use of a water-soluble, tungsten polyoxometalate H3PW12O40 (PW12-POM) as an efficient cathode interlayer incorporated into poly(3-hexylthiophene):[6,6]- phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM-61) polymer solar cells. The short circuit photocurrent density of the PW12-POM modified device is enhanced by ∼40% the open circuit voltage increases from 0.61 V to 0.65 V and the fill factor from 0.36 to 0.41, resulting to a power conversion efficiency enhancement of ∼70% (from 1.57% for the reference to 2.7% for the PW12-POM modified device). The improvement is attributed to enhanced electron transfer/extraction at the PW12-POM/Al interface as a result of the favorable interfacial energy level alignment and possible enhancement of the local electric field due to the nanoscale morphology of the PW12-POM layer, as evidenced by AFM measurements. A reduced degradation rate was measured for PW12-POM modified devices stored in dark and measured in ambient conditions. Taking into account the advantageous solution processability of PW12-POM, the large increase in the device efficiency and the improvement of their stability, we manifest that PW12-POM has highly desirable properties in order to be embedded as cathode interlayer in organic photovoltaic cells.

Electron extraction layer, Optical simulations, Optical spacer, Polymer solar cells, Tungsten polyoxometalate (PW12-POM)
0927-0248
205-213
Palilis, Leonidas C.
b09e9554-54da-4be5-aa08-bda894e2b86f
Vasilopoulou, Maria
aad1381e-d091-4090-8c7c-b74bed22393d
Douvas, Antonios M.
2e088659-e1b3-4723-aff9-4dfe385579b5
Georgiadou, Dimitra G.
84977176-3678-4fb3-a3dd-2044a49c853b
Kennou, Stella
7ca6a6bd-6a05-4110-b3da-c8807f798370
Stathopoulos, Nikolaos A.
83a4653f-c4c8-464a-8ed1-a93c52cf3833
Constantoudis, Vassilios
4d35166b-4d75-4caa-ae27-c991b51a01c3
Argitis, Panagiotis
ab9c4ea6-3dd2-4e34-935d-81bfb360f358
Palilis, Leonidas C.
b09e9554-54da-4be5-aa08-bda894e2b86f
Vasilopoulou, Maria
aad1381e-d091-4090-8c7c-b74bed22393d
Douvas, Antonios M.
2e088659-e1b3-4723-aff9-4dfe385579b5
Georgiadou, Dimitra G.
84977176-3678-4fb3-a3dd-2044a49c853b
Kennou, Stella
7ca6a6bd-6a05-4110-b3da-c8807f798370
Stathopoulos, Nikolaos A.
83a4653f-c4c8-464a-8ed1-a93c52cf3833
Constantoudis, Vassilios
4d35166b-4d75-4caa-ae27-c991b51a01c3
Argitis, Panagiotis
ab9c4ea6-3dd2-4e34-935d-81bfb360f358

Palilis, Leonidas C., Vasilopoulou, Maria, Douvas, Antonios M., Georgiadou, Dimitra G., Kennou, Stella, Stathopoulos, Nikolaos A., Constantoudis, Vassilios and Argitis, Panagiotis (2013) Solution processable tungsten polyoxometalate as highly effective cathode interlayer for improved efficiency and stability polymer solar cells. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 114, 205-213. (doi:10.1016/j.solmat.2013.02.034).

Record type: Article

Abstract

We report for the first time the use of a water-soluble, tungsten polyoxometalate H3PW12O40 (PW12-POM) as an efficient cathode interlayer incorporated into poly(3-hexylthiophene):[6,6]- phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM-61) polymer solar cells. The short circuit photocurrent density of the PW12-POM modified device is enhanced by ∼40% the open circuit voltage increases from 0.61 V to 0.65 V and the fill factor from 0.36 to 0.41, resulting to a power conversion efficiency enhancement of ∼70% (from 1.57% for the reference to 2.7% for the PW12-POM modified device). The improvement is attributed to enhanced electron transfer/extraction at the PW12-POM/Al interface as a result of the favorable interfacial energy level alignment and possible enhancement of the local electric field due to the nanoscale morphology of the PW12-POM layer, as evidenced by AFM measurements. A reduced degradation rate was measured for PW12-POM modified devices stored in dark and measured in ambient conditions. Taking into account the advantageous solution processability of PW12-POM, the large increase in the device efficiency and the improvement of their stability, we manifest that PW12-POM has highly desirable properties in order to be embedded as cathode interlayer in organic photovoltaic cells.

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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 28 February 2013
e-pub ahead of print date: 13 April 2013
Published date: July 2013
Keywords: Electron extraction layer, Optical simulations, Optical spacer, Polymer solar cells, Tungsten polyoxometalate (PW12-POM)

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 441304
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/441304
ISSN: 0927-0248
PURE UUID: 4cba3da6-f029-4559-983e-1490fb16a3ee
ORCID for Dimitra G. Georgiadou: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2620-3346

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 09 Jun 2020 16:30
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 04:00

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Contributors

Author: Leonidas C. Palilis
Author: Maria Vasilopoulou
Author: Antonios M. Douvas
Author: Stella Kennou
Author: Nikolaos A. Stathopoulos
Author: Vassilios Constantoudis
Author: Panagiotis Argitis

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