Self-assembled thienylsilane molecule as interfacial layer for ZnO nanowire/polymer hybrid system

A thienylsilane molecular layer is self-assembled onto vertically aligned ZnO nanowire templates for promoting in situ electrochemical polymerization of P3HT. The silane functionalization on ZnO surface is investigated using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and water contact angle measurements. The silane-based surface modified layer acts as a favorable nucleation site for electrochemical polymerization. We find that the oxidation potential for electrochemical polymerization is obviously decreased compared to that without a surface modifier. The UV-visible absorption in the ZnO nanowire/P3HT film with thienylsilane molecular layer is much stronger than that without surface modification.

[1]  Q. Qiao,et al.  Conjugated polymer–inorganic semiconductor hybrid solar cells , 2011 .

[2]  Yunfei Zhou,et al.  Bulk-heterojunction hybrid solar cells based on colloidal nanocrystals and conjugated polymers , 2010 .

[3]  H. Borchert,et al.  Elementary processes and limiting factors in hybrid polymer/nanoparticle solar cells , 2010 .

[4]  Qiquan Qiao,et al.  A review of polymer multijunction solar cells , 2010 .

[5]  Ching-Fuh Lin,et al.  Morphology Dependence of Silicon Nanowire/Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):Poly(styrenesulfonate) Heterojunction Solar Cells , 2010 .

[6]  Beibei Zhang,et al.  Surface functionalization of zinc oxide by carboxyalkylphosphonic acid self-assembled monolayers. , 2010, Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids.

[7]  D. Ginley,et al.  Photovoltaic devices with a low band gap polymer and CdSe nanostructures exceeding 3% efficiency. , 2010, Nano letters.

[8]  Seth B Darling,et al.  Improved hybrid solar cells via in situ UV polymerization. , 2009, Small.

[9]  R. Berger,et al.  Integrated blocking layers for hybrid organic solar cells , 2009 .

[10]  Chia-Hao Chang,et al.  Interfacial nanostructuring on the performance of polymer/TiO2 nanorod bulk heterojunction solar cells. , 2009, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[11]  L. Abrantes,et al.  Different steps in the electrosynthesis of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) on platinum , 2008 .

[12]  C. G. Allen,et al.  Surface modification of ZnO using triethoxysilane-based molecules. , 2008, Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids.

[13]  James T. McLeskey,et al.  Organic/Inorganic Polymer Solar Cells Using a Buffer Layer from All-Water-Solution Processing , 2008 .

[14]  Donal D. C. Bradley,et al.  Hybrid Solar Cells from a Blend of Poly(3‐hexylthiophene) and Ligand‐Capped TiO2 Nanorods , 2008 .

[15]  Jing-Shun Huang,et al.  Influences of ZnO sol-gel thin film characteristics on ZnO nanowire arrays prepared at low temperature using all solution-based processing , 2008 .

[16]  L. Jan Anton Koster,et al.  Hybrid Polymer Solar Cells from Highly Reactive Diethylzinc: MDMO–PPV versus P3HT , 2007 .

[17]  Jenny Nelson,et al.  Hybrid polymer-metal oxide thin films for photovoltaic applications{ , 2007 .

[18]  Chengwei Wang,et al.  Surface-initiated growth of conjugated polymers for functionalization of electronically active nanoporous networks: synthesis, structure and optical properties , 2006 .

[19]  R. Edwards,et al.  Electropolymerized polythiophene layer extracted from the interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions: Current–time analysis , 2006 .

[20]  L. Abrantes,et al.  In situ ellipsometric studies on the electrochemically induced structural modifications during poly(3-methylthiophene) formation , 2006 .

[21]  Q. Qiao,et al.  Characteristics of water-soluble polythiophene: TiO2 composite and its application in photovoltaics , 2005 .

[22]  Chang Q. Sun,et al.  Electrochemical thin film deposition of polypyrrole on different substrates , 2005 .

[23]  Xiaoniu Yang,et al.  Hybrid zinc oxide conjugated polymer bulk heterojunction solar cells. , 2005, The journal of physical chemistry. B.

[24]  Q. Qiao,et al.  Water-soluble polythiophene∕nanocrystalline TiO2 solar cells , 2005 .

[25]  W. J. Beek,et al.  Efficient Hybrid Solar Cells from Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and a Conjugated Polymer , 2004 .

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

[27]  S. M. Kilbey,et al.  Contact Angle and Electrochemical Characterization of Multicomponent Thiophene-Capped Monolayers , 2000 .

[28]  T. Bayer,et al.  Self-assembled monolayers prepared from ω-thiophene-functionalized n-alkyltrichlorosilane on silicon substrates , 2000 .

[29]  A. Alivisatos,et al.  CdSe Nanocrystal Rods/Poly(3‐hexylthiophene) Composite Photovoltaic Devices , 1999 .

[30]  Roderick R. Kunz,et al.  Surface Functionalization and Imaging Using Monolayers and Surface-Grafted Polymer Layers , 1999 .

[31]  W. Su,et al.  Effect of chemical structure of interface modifier of TiO2 on photovoltaic properties of poly(3-hexylthiophene)/TiO2 layered solar cells. , 2009, Journal of colloid and interface science.

[32]  Monica Lira-Cantu,et al.  Vertically-aligned nanostructures of ZnO for excitonic solar cells: a review , 2009 .