title: Understanding the Light Soaking Effects in Inverted Organic Solar Cells Functionalized with Conjugated Macroelectrolyte Electron-Collecting Interlayers.
abstract: Three kinds of charged star-shaped conjugated macroelectrolytes, named as PhNBr, TPANBr, and TrNBr, are synthesized as electron-collecting interlayers for inverted polymer solar cells (i-PSCs). Based on these well-defined structured interlayer materials, the light soaking (LS) effect observed in i-PSCs was studied systematically and accurately. The general character of the LS effect is further verified by studying additional i-PSC devices functionalized with other common interlayers. The key-role of UV photons was confirmed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and electron-only devices. In addition, the ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy measurements indicate that the work function of the indium tin oxide (ITO)/interlayer cathode is significantly reduced after UV treatment. In these i-PSC devices the LS effect originates from the adsorbed oxygen on the ITO substrates when oxygen plasma is used; however, even a small amount of oxygen from the ambient is also enough for triggering the LS effect, albeit with a weaker intensity. Our results suggest that the effect of adsorbed oxygen on ITO needs to be considered with attention while preparing i-PSCs. This is an important finding that can aid the large-scale manufacturing of organic solar cells via printing technologies, which do not always ensure the full protection of the device electrode substrates from oxygen.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays (KLOEID) and Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM) Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM) Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications 9 Wenyuan Road Nanjing 210023 China.
authors.forename: Weidong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays (KLOEID) and Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM) Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM) Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications 9 Wenyuan Road Nanjing 210023 China.
authors.forename: Ruidong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering Cyprus University of Technology Dorothea Bldg 51145 Kitiou Kyprianou Street Limassol 3041 Cyprus; Department of Chemistry Harbin Institute of Technology Harbin 150001 China.
authors.forename: Tengling
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays (KLOEID) and Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM) Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM) Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications 9 Wenyuan Road Nanjing 210023 China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Center for Nano Science and Technology@PoliMi Istituto Italiano di Tecnologlia Via G. Pascoli 70/3 I-20133 Milan Italy.
authors.forename: Zhipeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kan
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays (KLOEID) and Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM) Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM) Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications 9 Wenyuan Road Nanjing 210023 China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mei
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays (KLOEID) and Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM) Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM) Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications 9 Wenyuan Road Nanjing 210023 China.
authors.forename: Congfei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays (KLOEID) and Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM) Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM) Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications 9 Wenyuan Road Nanjing 210023 China.
authors.forename: Xin-Wen
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays (KLOEID) and Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM) Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM) Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications 9 Wenyuan Road Nanjing 210023 China; Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLOFE) and Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM) Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM)Nanjing Tech University (NanjingTech) 30 South Puzhu Road Nanjing 211816 China.
authors.forename: Wen-Yong
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering Cyprus University of Technology Dorothea Bldg 511 45 Kitiou Kyprianou Street Limassol 3041 Cyprus.
authors.forename: Panagiotis E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Keivanidis
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays (KLOEID) and Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM) Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM) Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications 9 Wenyuan Road Nanjing 210023 China; Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLOFE) and Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM) Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM)Nanjing Tech University (NanjingTech) 30 South Puzhu Road Nanjing 211816 China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huang
keywords: cathode interlayer; conjugated polyelectrolytes; inverted solar cells; light soaking effect; star‐shaped molecules