Low bandgap polymers for photon harvesting in bulk heterojunction solar cells

Encouraging progress has been made over the last few years in the field of photovoltaic solar cells using organic materials. Among the different concepts which have been proposed, the bulk heterojunction approach (formed by blending donor type conjugated polymers and acceptors like fullerenes) is attractive and significant progress in improving the power conversion efficiency of these devices was obtained recently. One of the possible improvements of this type of solar cells is the implementation of new materials absorbing the red and near infrared part of the solar spectrum, where the maximal photon flux of the sun is located. In this article, we will describe this strategy of photon harvesting in organic solar cells and review recent advances in the search for new materials as candidates for polymeric absorbers.

[1]  Stephen R. Forrest,et al.  Efficient bulk heterojunction photovoltaic cells using small-molecular-weight organic thin films , 2003, Nature.

[2]  Mats Andersson,et al.  High‐Performance Polymer Solar Cells of an Alternating Polyfluorene Copolymer and a Fullerene Derivative , 2003 .

[3]  P. Adriaensens,et al.  Convenient synthesis and polymerization of 5,6-disubstituted dithiophthalides toward soluble poly(isothianaphthene): An initial spectroscopic characterization of the resulting low-band-gap polymers , 2003 .

[4]  Stephen R. Forrest,et al.  Small molecular weight organic thin-film photodetectors and solar cells , 2003 .

[5]  C. Brabec,et al.  Long-lived photoinduced charge separation for solar cell applications in phthalocyanine–fulleropyrrolidine dyad thin films , 2003 .

[6]  Brian A. Gregg,et al.  Comparing organic to inorganic photovoltaic cells: Theory, experiment, and simulation , 2003 .

[7]  R. Friend,et al.  Synthesis and luminescence properties of three novel polyfluorene copolymers , 2003 .

[8]  Niyazi Serdar Sariciftci,et al.  Effects of Postproduction Treatment on Plastic Solar Cells , 2003 .

[9]  Wilhelm Graupner,et al.  Creation of a gradient polymer-fullerene interface in photovoltaic devices by thermally controlled interdiffusion , 2002 .

[10]  Christoph J. Brabec,et al.  Recombination and loss analysis in polythiophene based bulk heterojunction photodetectors , 2002 .

[11]  Christoph J. Brabec,et al.  A low-bandgap semiconducting polymer for photovoltaic devices and infrared emitting diodes , 2002 .

[12]  D. Ginley,et al.  Polymer—perylene diimide heterojunction solar cells , 2002 .

[13]  Richard H. Friend,et al.  The origin of the open-circuit voltage in polyfluorene-based photovoltaic devices , 2002 .

[14]  J. Brédas,et al.  Theoretical investigation of the nature of the ground state in the low-bandgap conjugated polymer, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) , 2002 .

[15]  Michael Grätzel,et al.  Improvement of the photovoltaic performance of solid-state dye-sensitized device by silver complexation of the sensitizer cis-bis(4,4 ' -dicarboxy-2,2 ' bipyridine)-bis(isothiocyanato) ruthenium(II) , 2002 .

[16]  N. S. Sariciftci,et al.  Double-cable polymers for fullerene based organic optoelectronic applications , 2002 .

[17]  Ullrich Scherf,et al.  Semiconducting Polyfluorenes—Towards Reliable Structure–Property Relationships , 2002 .

[18]  A. Alivisatos,et al.  Hybrid Nanorod-Polymer Solar Cells , 2002, Science.

[19]  D. Bradley,et al.  Charge separation in polyflourene composites with internal donor/acceptor heterojunctions , 2002 .

[20]  N. S. Sariciftci,et al.  Positive and Negative Charge Carriers in Doped or Photoexcited Polydithienothiophenes: A Comparative Study Using Raman, Infrared, and Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy , 2002 .

[21]  Richard H. Friend,et al.  Vertically segregated polymer-blend photovoltaic thin-film structures through surface-mediated solution processing , 2002 .

[22]  Stephen R. Forrest,et al.  High photovoltage multiple-heterojunction organic solar cells incorporating interfacial metallic nanoclusters , 2002 .

[23]  C. Brabec,et al.  Effect of LiF/metal electrodes on the performance of plastic solar cells , 2002 .

[24]  Dieter Meissner,et al.  Optical constants of conjugated polymer/fullerene based bulk-heterojunction organic solar cells , 2002 .

[25]  J. Hummelen,et al.  Comparison of electrochemical and spectroscopic data of the low-bandgap polymer ptptb , 2002 .

[26]  Nasser N Peyghambarian,et al.  Fabrication of bulk heterojunction plastic solar cells by screen printing , 2001 .

[27]  Victor V. Krasnikov,et al.  Supramolecular self-assembly and opto-electronic properties of semiconducting block copolymers , 2001 .

[28]  C. Brabec,et al.  Origin of the Open Circuit Voltage of Plastic Solar Cells , 2001 .

[29]  Wolfgang Brütting,et al.  Exciton diffusion and optical interference in organic donor–acceptor photovoltaic cells , 2001 .

[30]  Raj René Janssen,et al.  Synthesis and characterization of a low bandgap conjugated polymer for bulk heterojunction photovoltaic cells , 2001 .

[31]  Jean-Michel Nunzi,et al.  Photovoltaic properties of Schottky and p - n type solar cells based on polythiophene , 2001 .

[32]  Christoph J. Brabec,et al.  Tracing photoinduced electron transfer process in conjugated polymer/fullerene bulk heterojunctions in real time , 2001 .

[33]  M. Shkunov,et al.  Optical Signature of Delocalized Polarons in Conjugated Polymers , 2001 .

[34]  D. Meissner,et al.  Photovoltaics of interconnected networks , 2001 .

[35]  Raj René Janssen,et al.  Low-bandgap polymer photovoltaic cells , 2001 .

[36]  F. Wudl,et al.  A Robust Low Band Gap Processable n-Type Conducting Polymer Based on Poly(isothianaphthene) , 2001 .

[37]  C. Brabec,et al.  2.5% efficient organic plastic solar cells , 2001 .

[38]  C. Brabec,et al.  Plastic Solar Cells , 2001 .

[39]  Paul A. van Hal,et al.  Synthesis, photophysical properties, and photovoltaic devices of oligo(p-phenylene vinylene)-fullerene dyads , 2000 .

[40]  S. Jenekhe,et al.  Efficient photovoltaic cells from semiconducting polymer heterojunctions , 2000 .

[41]  Richard H. Friend,et al.  Electron Trapping in Dye/Polymer Blend Photovoltaic Cells , 2000 .

[42]  L. S. Roman,et al.  Excitation transfer in polymer photodiodes for enhanced quantum efficiency , 2000 .

[43]  O. Inganäs,et al.  Structural ordering in phenyl-substituted polythiophenes , 2000 .

[44]  Dieter Meissner,et al.  Photocurrent spectroscopy for the investigation of charge carrier generation and transport mechanisms in organic p/n-junction solar cells , 2000 .

[45]  G. Hadziioannou,et al.  Semiconducting Diblock Copolymers Synthesized by Means of Controlled Radical Polymerization Techniques , 2000 .

[46]  Mats Andersson,et al.  Photoluminescence quenching at a polythiophene/C-60 heterojunction , 2000 .

[47]  Richard H. Friend,et al.  Photodiodes Based on Polyfluorene Composites: Influence of Morphology , 2000 .

[48]  J. Reynolds,et al.  Poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) and Its Derivatives: Past, Present, and Future , 2000 .

[49]  Jiang,et al.  Two-dimensional electronic excitations in self-assembled conjugated polymer nanocrystals , 2000, Science.

[50]  Mats Andersson,et al.  Trapping light in polymer photodiodes with soft embossed gratings , 2000 .

[51]  L. S. Roman,et al.  Modeling photocurrent action spectra of photovoltaic devices based on organic thin films , 1999 .

[52]  René A. J. Janssen,et al.  Realization of large area flexible fullerene — conjugated polymer photocells: A route to plastic solar cells , 1999 .

[53]  J. Brédas,et al.  Electronic structure of polydithienothiophene materials , 1999 .

[54]  Franco Cacialli,et al.  Indium-tin oxide treatments for single- and double-layer polymeric light-emitting diodes: The relation between the anode physical, chemical, and morphological properties and the device performance , 1998 .

[55]  F. E. Karasz,et al.  Bright red electroluminescence from a dye/copolymer blend , 1998 .

[56]  Mats Andersson,et al.  Laminated fabrication of polymeric photovoltaic diodes , 1998, Nature.

[57]  Mats Andersson,et al.  High Quantum Efficiency Polythiophene , 1998 .

[58]  H. Sirringhaus,et al.  Integrated optoelectronic devices based on conjugated polymers , 1998, Science.

[59]  S. Jenekhe,et al.  Self-assembled aggregates of rod-coil block copolymers and their solubilization and encapsulation of fullerenes , 1998, Science.

[60]  S. Shaheen,et al.  Highly efficient and bright organic electroluminescent devices with an aluminum cathode , 1997 .

[61]  E. List,et al.  Efficient red- and orange-light-emitting diodes realized by excitation energy transfer from blue-light-emitting conjugated polymers , 1997 .

[62]  M. G. Harrison,et al.  Analysis of the photocurrent action spectra of MEH-PPV polymer photodiodes , 1997 .

[63]  M. Catellani,et al.  A spectroelectrochemical study of poly(dithienothiophenes) , 1997 .

[64]  J. Roncali.  Synthetic Principles for Bandgap Control in Linear pi-Conjugated Systems. , 1997, Chemical reviews.

[65]  Peng,et al.  Charge separation and transport in conjugated-polymer/semiconductor-nanocrystal composites studied by photoluminescence quenching and photoconductivity. , 1996, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[66]  T. Moore,et al.  Energy and Photoinduced Electron Transfer in Porphyrin−Fullerene Dyads , 1996 .

[67]  Stephen C. Moratti,et al.  EXCITON DIFFUSION AND DISSOCIATION IN A POLY(P-PHENYLENEVINYLENE)/C60 HETEROJUNCTION PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL , 1996 .

[68]  Wei,et al.  Absorption-detected magnetic-resonance studies of photoexcitations in conjugated-polymer/C60 composites. , 1996, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[69]  J. Hummelen,et al.  Polymer Photovoltaic Cells: Enhanced Efficiencies via a Network of Internal Donor-Acceptor Heterojunctions , 1995, Science.

[70]  Alan J. Heeger,et al.  Charge separation and photovoltaic conversion in polymer composites with internal donor/acceptor heterojunctions , 1995 .

[71]  J. Als-Nielsen,et al.  Structural aspects of oriented poly(octylphenylthiophene) studied in bulk and sub-micron layers by X-ray diffraction , 1995 .

[72]  C. A. Walsh,et al.  Efficient photodiodes from interpenetrating polymer networks , 1995, Nature.

[73]  Alan J. Heeger,et al.  Enhanced electroluminescence from semiconducting polymer blends , 1995 .

[74]  Ian D. Parker,et al.  Carrier tunneling and device characteristics in polymer light‐emitting diodes , 1994 .

[75]  Samson A. Jenekhe,et al.  Photovoltaic and photoconductive properties of aluminum/poly(p-phenylene vinylene) interfaces , 1994 .

[76]  Moses,et al.  Sensitization of the photoconductivity of conducting polymers by C60: Photoinduced electron transfer. , 1993, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[77]  David Braun,et al.  Semiconducting polymer‐buckminsterfullerene heterojunctions: Diodes, photodiodes, and photovoltaic cells , 1993 .

[78]  A. J. Heeger,et al.  Photoinduced Electron Transfer from a Conducting Polymer to Buckminsterfullerene , 1992, Science.

[79]  M. Grätzel,et al.  A low-cost, high-efficiency solar cell based on dye-sensitized colloidal TiO2 films , 1991, Nature.

[80]  F. Wudl,et al.  The Unusual Electron Spin Resonance of Fullerene C60. , 1991 .

[81]  Vardeny,et al.  Amplitude and phase modes in trans-polyacetylene: Resonant Raman scattering and induced infrared activity. , 1987, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[82]  Alan J. Heeger,et al.  Towards organic polymers with very small intrinsic band gaps. I. Electronic structure of polyisothianaphthene and derivatives , 1986 .

[83]  C. Tang.  Two‐layer organic photovoltaic cell , 1986 .