Directed electron transfer in Langmuir–Schäfer layers of porphyrin–fullerene and phthalocyanine–fullerene dyads in inverted organic solar cells

Abstract

In this study double linked porphyrin-fullerene and phthalocyanine-fullerene dyads and a single linked phthalocyanine-fullerene dyad were studied as components in inverted organic solar cells (OSCs) equipped with the well known P3HT:PCBM bulk heterojunction as the photoactive layer. The dyad monolayers were deposited onto a surface of P3HT:PCBM by using the Langmuir-Schäfer method, therefore forming oriented monolayers in which the electron donor (D) and the acceptor (A) exist as a close proximity pair in a 1:1 molar ratio. As a result of this structure short circuit current density (J(sc)), open circuit voltage (V(oc)), and power conversion efficiency (η) increased, while the fill factor (FF) remained the same. The devices which contained dyads with double linkage produced higher efficiencies than the one with a single linked dyad. This result can be explained in terms of molecular orientation. It was also verified that the prepared OSC devices have promising long term air stability.

Porphyrins as Active Components for Electrochemical and Photoelectrochemical Devices

“…Double linked porphyrin-fullerene (DHPF) and phthalocyanine-fullerene (DHPcF) dyads and a single linked phthalocyanine-fullerene dyad (MHPcF) were studied as components in inverted organic solar cells (OSCs) equipped with P3HT:PCBM (PCBM = 2,3-fullero-1-methoxybutanoyl-1-phenylcyclopropane, from the trivial name "Methanofullerene Phenyl-C61-Butyric-Acid-MethylEster") bulk heterojunction as the photoactive layer. 280 An inverted device architecture with a ZnO electron collecting layer on an ITO cathode has promising air stability. The dyad monolayers were deposited onto a surface of P3HT:PCBM by using the Langmuir-Schäfer method, therefore forming oriented monolayers in which the electron donor (D) and the acceptor (A) exist as a close proximity pair in a 1:1 molar ratio.…”

“…In another report, ZnO nanocrystals were electrochemically grown from zinc nitrate solution. 279 Films of ZnO nanoparticles were prepared hydrolyzing a zinc salt directly on the ITO support, 280 depositing a colloidal ZnO solution on a transparent conductive glass and then sintering at 320 °C, 281 or collected as a solid powder first, then deposited by "doctor blading" on a FTO support. 282 Alternatively, cathodic electrodeposition was used over ITO 283 or a FTO 284 glass plate or on an electropolymerized polypyrrole film over a Pt electrode.…”

Porphyrin‐Based Bulk Heterojunction Organic Photovoltaics: The Rise of the Colors of Life

“…With the recent uprise of interface engineering and its encouraging impact on final solar cell performance, a few groups have focused their attention on porphyrinic interfacial layers. To this extent, Lemmetyinen et al prepared inverted OSCs (Figure ) with a glass/ZnO/P3HT:PC 61 BM/DHPF/Alq 3 /Au configuration, in which a monolayer of a doubly linked porphyrin‐fullerene dyad (DHPF 68 ; Figure 18 ) was deposited via the Langmuir–Schäfer method between the P3HT:PC 61 BM active layer and a tris(8‐hydroxyquinolinato) aluminum (Alq 3 ) buffer layer . In this way, the solar cell performance could be enhanced to 2.6%, compared to 1.8% for the reference device without DHPF layer.…”

Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance of Porphyrin/Phthalocyanine and Bis(4‐pyridyl)pyrrolidinofullerene modified Titania

“…It is well‐known that fullerene derivatives can easily form supramolecular electron donor‐acceptor systems with porphyrins and phthalocyanines . In addition, the LUMO levels of suitably functionalized fullerenes can be adjusted to be between the LUMO of the porphyrins/phthalocyanines and the CB of TiO 2 .…”