Surface plasmon resonance synergistic coupling effects of gold nanoparticulates with silver grating in P3HT: PC61BM-based organic solar cell

Abstract

A systematic study was carried out to observe possible boosts in the performance of poly-(3-hexyl thiophene): phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PC61BM) based organic solar cell via synergistic coupling of plasmonic effects. Various volume concentration ratios of gold nanoparticles and nanorods ranging from 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% were used to determine an optimum condition. An indicative 2% optimum condition led to synergistic tests. Synergistic coupling of gold nanorods with backcontact grating revealed a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.88%. Since post thermal annealing process results in optimum interfacial surface morphology and structural reorganization, a post process hypothesis was performed to observe the behavior of the devices at room temperature with further comparisons at 40°C. A further increase in the initial performance of the devices were observed with an optimum PCE of 5.43%. The behavior in the performances revealed stable measurements mostly attributed to conditions below glass transition temperature of P3HT:PC61BM.