Enhancement efficiency of polymer solar cells by incorporating metal oxide nanoparticles

Abstract

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) deposited at the interface of the hole-collecting buffer layer [poly(3,4ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate)(PEDOT:PSS)] and regiore-gular poly (3-hexylthiophene) :[6,6]-phenylC61-butyricacidmethylester(rr-P3HT):(PCBM) active layer were found to significantly increase solar cell performance. The photo-physical properties of these devices incorporated with AuNPs with different space distributions in the interface of PEDOT:PSS buffer layer and P3HT:PCBM active layer are investigated. We find that, the optical property is improved as the AuNPs are large enough to penetrate into the active layer and the performance of Photovoltaic solar cells (PSCs) with large AuNPs can benefit from the improved hole collection efficiency. The efficiency enhancement for the device with a PEDOT:PSS: AuNPs film is more significant than for the device with PEDOT:PSS film.

Keywords: PEDOT:PSS, Buffer layer, P3HT:PCBM, Gold oxide nanoparticle.