title: Aqueous Nanoparticle Polymer Solar Cells: Effects of Surfactant Concentration and Processing on Device Performance.
abstract: Polymer solar cells based on PDPP5T and PCBM as donor and acceptor materials, respectively, were processed from aqueous nanoparticle dispersions. Careful monitoring and optimization of the concentration of free and surface-bound surfactants in the dispersion, by measuring the conductivity and ζ-potential, is essential to avoid aggregation of nanoparticles at low concentration and dewetting of the film at high concentration. The surfactant concentration is crucial for creating reproducible processing conditions that aid in further developing aqueous nanoparticle processed solar cells. In addition, the effects of adding ethanol, of aging the dispersion, and of replacing [60]PCBM with [70]PCBM to enhance light absorption were studied. The highest power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) obtained are 2.0% for [60]PCBM and 2.4% for [70]PCBM-based devices. These PCEs are limited by bimolecular recombination of photogenerated charges. Cryo-TEM reveals that the two components phase separate in the nanoparticles, forming a PCBM-rich core and a PDPP5T-rich shell and causing a nonoptimal film morphology.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Materials and Nanosystems, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology , P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Fallon J M
authors.initials: FJM
authors.lastname: Colberts
authors.affiliation: Molecular Materials and Nanosystems, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology , P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.|Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research , De Zaale 20, 5612 AJ, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Martijn M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Wienk
authors.affiliation: Molecular Materials and Nanosystems, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology , P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.|Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research , De Zaale 20, 5612 AJ, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: René A J
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1920-5124
authors.initials: RAJ
authors.lastname: Janssen
keywords: conductivity; fullerene; miniemulsion; nanoparticle dispersion; organic photovoltaics; semiconducting polymer; surfactant; ζ-potential