High-molecular-weight insulating polymers can improve the performance of molecular solar cells.
The addition of small quantities of polystyrene (PS) is a simple and economically viable process that improves the power conversion efficiency of one of the most efficient small molecule donors. Addition of PS increases the solution viscosity, thereby providing thicker layers, and allows the formation of a desirable bulk heterojunction morphology. Moreover, the PS spontaneously accumulates as phase separated domains, away from the electrodes, so as not to interfere with charge extraction.
Center for Energy Efficient Materials, Departments of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Center of Polymers and Organic Solids, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
Ye
Y
Huang
Wen
W
Wen
Subhrangsu
S
Mukherjee
Harald
H
Ade
Edward J
EJ
Kramer
Guillermo C
GC
Bazan
morphology; non-conductive polystyrene; organic solar cells; processing; small molecules