Incomplete exciton harvesting from fullerenes in bulk heterojunction solar cells.
We investigate the internal quantum efficiencies (IQEs) of high efficiency poly-3-hexylthiophene:[6,6]-phenyl-C(61)-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM) solar cells and find them to be lower at wavelengths where the PCBM absorbs. Because the exciton diffusion length in PCBM is too small, excitons generated in PCBM decay before reaching the donor-acceptor interface. This result has implications for most state of the art organic solar cells, since all of the most efficient devices use fullerenes as electron acceptors.
Burkhard
George F
GF
Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
Hoke
Eric T
ET
Scully
Shawn R
SR
McGehee
Michael D
MD
D011211:Electric Power Supplies; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D037741:Fullerenes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects; D008027:Light; D016566:Organoselenium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects; D012993:Solar Energy
C539575:(6,6)-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester; D037741:Fullerenes; D016566:Organoselenium Compounds; C526212:poly(3-hexyl)selenophene