Stable Inverted Polymer/Fullerene Solar Cells Using a Cationic Polythiophene Modified PEDOT:PSS Cathodic Interface

Abstract

A cationic and water‐soluble polythiophene [poly[3‐(6‐pyridiniumylhexyl)thiophene bromide] (P3PHT+Br−)] is synthesized and used in combination with anionic poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(p‐styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)− to produce hybrid coatings on indium tin oxide (ITO). Two coating strategies are established: i) electrostatic layer‐by‐layer assembly with colloidal suspensions of (PEDOT:PSS)−, and ii) modification of an electrochemically prepared (PEDOT:PSS)− film on ITO. The coatings are found to modify the work function of ITO such that it could act as a cathode in inverted 2,5‐diyl‐poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT)/[6,6]‐phenyl‐C61‐butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) polymer photovoltaic cells. The interfacial modifier created from the layer‐by‐layer assembly route is used to produce efficient inverted organic photovoltaic devices (power conversion efficiency ∼2%) with significant long‐term stability in excess of 500 h.

Fabrication of Polymer Solar Cells Using Aqueous Processing for All Layers Including the Metal Back Electrode

“…[ 1 ] Introduction of sulfonic acid salts at the end of the side chains provided the solubility, and polymers employing the same principle for water solubility using different ions such as sulfonium, [ 2 , 3 ] pyridinum [ 4 ] or ammonium salts [ 5 , 6 ] and varying chain lengths have been reported and/or are commercially available.…”

Structural and electrical properties of P3HT:PCBM/PEDOT:PSS thin films deposited through electrohydrodynamic atomization technique

“…I-V analysis of Fig. 2a shows a rectifying behavior which confirms that the interface between the two layers in which the PEDOT:PSS is used as a blocking layer for the hole transport [12]. In order to analyze the I-V characteristics, we plotted the semi-logarithmic curve as shown in Fig.…”

A new polythiophene derivative-based fluorescent sensor for Co2+, Cu2+, Cd2+, and its complex with Cu2+ for sensing homocysteine and glutathione

“…Moreover, these fluorescence polymers can be systematically modified by the introduction of different functional groups based on steric and electronic property. Of which polythiophene derivatives have received increasing attention because of their significant photochemical stabilities and high fluorescence quantum yields [18][19][20][21][22]. However, only few papers have been devoted to the study of polythiophene derivatives for directly detecting multiple metal ions.…”