In this contribution we report on investigations of the electronic structure and composition of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) based films by using Near Edge X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS). The measurements were done at the U49/2-PGM2 beam line of BESSY II, Berlin using TEY (total electron yield) and TFY (total fluorescence yield) detection. The samples were produced by spin casting a mixture of P3HT (dissolved in chloroform) and PCBM (dissolved in chlorobenzene) on ITO (indium tin oxide) coated glass slides. Measurements of pure P3HT and PCBM show all typical excitations, whereas the blended system is a weighted superposition of the related peaks. Analyzing these weighted superposition, we observe in the surface sensitive TEY data an accumulation of P3HT, whereas in the bulk sensitive TFY signal an as expected mixture is found. We also show angular dependent NEXAFS measurements of the P3HT/PCBM blend in order to measure the orientation and distribution of the P3HT polymer. Additionally, we will show a new approach for organic solar cell application by introducing ferroelectric nanoparticles into the mixture.
Organic semiconductors efficiently harvest light in the region of the solar spectrum due to a high absorption/extinction coefficient.In our work we study the electronic structure and the charge carrier dynamics of polymeric organic semiconductor regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophen-2,5-diyl) (P3HT), an ideal p-type semiconductor and a widely used conjugated polymer, and blends with the fullerene derivative phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), an electron acceptor material. The study was done with the help of time resolved microwave conductivity (TRMC) for contactless investigation of bulk carrier dynamics, optical spectroscopy, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy(UPS) and high resolution X-ray absorption spectroscopy(XAS) which investigates excited states of rr-P3HT. From the data obtained we could infer the positions of the valence and conduction band, the existence of two excitons as well as the co-existence of one dimensional and two dimensional polarons. Based on our spectroscopic data we propose a model in which the scattering of virtual polarons and excitons are shown to create mobile polaronic charge carriers.
The time resolved microwave conductivity (TRMC) method was used in order to study the generation and decay kinetics of charge carriers in the Bulk Heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells. The charge carriers were generated with 532nm laser pulses of 10ns FWHM (Full Width at Half Maximum) induced in the cells. The BHJ solar cells used for the measurements had a photoactive layer consisting of a mixture of Poly (3-Hexylthiophene) P3HT and Phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) which was spin coated onto Indium tin oxide (ITO)/glass substrates. In the field of Organic photovoltaic blends, TRMC method is introduced as a new method of direct investigation of the charge carrier lifetime as well as the charge carrier mobility and we were successful in studying the charge carrier lifetime of the reference BHJ solar cells.
We also studied the influence of aligned ferroelectric fields on the charge separation in BHJ solar cells. As ferroelectric material, we used the copolymer Poly (vinylidene fluoride - trifluoroethylene) P(VDF-TrFE).
Investigations of the electronic structure and composition of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) based films using Near Edge X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) are presented. The measurements were performed at the U49/2-PGM2 beam line of BESSY II, Berlin recording TEY (total electron yield) and TFY (total fluorescence yield) data. Samples prepared by spin coating a mixture of P3HT dissolved in chloroform and PCBM dissolved in chlorobenzene onto ITO (indium tin oxide) coated glass slides were analyzed. Upon measuring the pure P3HT and PCBM, all reported excitations were observed, whereas the blended system is a weighted superposition of the related peaks. Analyzing the data we calculate the composition of the mixture. We also show angular dependent NEXAFS measurements of the P3HT/PCBM blend in order to measure the orientation and distribution of the P3HT polymer. Additionally, we show a new approach for organic solar cell application. BaTiO3 nanoparticles were incorporated as nanodispersion into the donor-acceptor blend or the ferroelectric copolymer poly(vinylidene fluoride trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) was spincoated as an ultrathin film below the blend.
Charge dissociation and recombination are important factors for the efficiency of organic solar cells, even in blended systems of different polymers. As a new approach, the influence of additional blended ferroelectric nanoparticles on the solar cell performance is investigated. The ferroelectric dipole of the nanoparticle causes a local field, which could lead to a longer recombination time of the polaron pairs. As solar cell system we use bulk heterojunction cells or bilayer structures based on regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) as the donor and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) as the acceptor molecule. As ferroelectric additive we use the ferroelectric copolymer poly(vinylidene fluoride trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) or BaTiO3. The copolymer is spincoated as ultrathin film of 20nm, whereas the BaTiO3 is incorporated as nanodispersion into the donor-acceptor blend. We present the solar cell parameters for the different geometries and ferroelectric materials as a function of ferroelectric content and of the alignment of the ferroelectric dipoles after application of an external electric field.
The influence of an annealing step on the parameters of bulk heterojunction organic solar cells is investigated. In order to fabricate the solar cells we use glass coated with ITO (Indiumtinoxide) as a substrate on which the active layer consisting of P3HT and PCBM is spincoated. Al-electrodes are evaporated on top of the active layer. We use PEDOT:PSS as buffer layer. Each sample is annealed at different temperatures for a short time. Between every temperature step the I-V characteristic of the cell is measured. The following parameters are derived afterwards: FF, Isc (density), Voc. Also the efficiency is estimated. The results show a maximum cell efficiency for drying at 100°C for 20sec. A further important step for preparation is the drying procedure of the PEDOT:PSS layer. Here an improvement of about 50% in cell efficiency is measured after drying at 50°C for 5 days under inert gas atmosphere.