title: Improved charge separation properties of organic hetero-junction solar cells by self-assembled monolayers anchored Ag nanoparticles.
abstract: We investigate the effect of self-assembled monolayers and localized surface plasmons of silver nano-particles on an organic solar cell consisting of zinc phthalocyanine as an active layer. The device was fabricated by covalent attachment of silver nanoparticles on n-type silicon substrates using self-assembled monolayer of 4-mercaptophenol. Power conversion efficiency is increased up to 8 times as compared to a reference device with merely 0.13% photo-conversion efficiency containing no self-assembled monolayers and silver nano-particles. We believe that improved conductivity at the interface due to the aromatic self-assembled monolayer and the increased local electric field experienced by the active layer in presence of silver nano-particles act in synergy towards the higher population of excitons and dissipation of charge.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 106, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yian
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tai
authors.forename: Zong-Ci
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Jadab
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sharma