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Role of zinc oxide and carbonaceous nanomaterials in non-fullerene-based polymer bulk heterojunction solar cells for improved cost-to-performance ratio

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Title Role of zinc oxide and carbonaceous nanomaterials in non-fullerene-based polymer bulk heterojunction solar cells for improved cost-to-performance ratio
 
Creator SHARMA, R
ALAM, F
SHARMA, AK
DUTTA, V
DHAWAN, SK
 
Subject REDUCED GRAPHENE OXIDE
ENHANCED PHOTOCATALYTIC ACTIVITY
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
CONJUGATED POLYMER
ZNO NANOSTRUCTURES
CHARGE SEPARATION
VISIBLE-LIGHT
EFFICIENCY
NANOPARTICLES
STABILITY
 
Description Cost-effective carbonaceous allotropes other than fullerene (i.e. carbon quantum dots or C-dots), ZnO nanoparticles and their nanocomposites were synthesized as alternatives to expensive fullerene in polymer-based bull( heterojunction solar cells. A facile microwave-assisted hydrothermal route was used to synthesize nanomaterials in a short time span along with inexpensive precursors to reduce the cost. Taking into account the cost-to-performance ratio, devices were fabricated in direct configuration as ITO/PEDOT:PSS/PFO-DBT:ZnO (or C-dots, Z@G, Z@C-dots)/Al followed by device optimization to obtain optimized device parameters. The devices exhibit significant short-circuit current density (J(sc)), open-circuit voltage (V-oc) and power conversion efficiency (PCE). The best power conversion efficiency of 3.9% with J(sc) 14.8 mA cm(-2), V-oc, of 0.82 V and fill factor of 32% was obtained with Z@C-dots as acceptor at active layer concentration of 40 mg ml(-1) and weight ratio of 1 : 1. In addition, the phase analysis of the active-layer interface demonstrates the better compatibility of the organic:organic phase (i.e. polymer:C-dots with a device PCE of 2.8%) as compared to the organic:inorganic phase (i.e. polymer:ZnO with a device PCE of 1.41%). Moreover, the best performance of the organic:hybrid phase (i.e. polymer:Z@C-dots with a device PCE of 3.9%) is due to the exploitation of properties of both organic and inorganic components on the same platform. C-dots as an acceptor give an overall power conversion efficiency of 2.8%, whereas Z@G resulted in an efficiency of 3.1%. A fullerene-based device gives an efficiency of 4.2% (just 0.3% more in comparison to Z@C-dots), but the difference in material cost is more than 50 times, which thus results in a significant improvement in the cost-to-performance ratio of a Z@C-dots-based device than a device using fullerene as an acceptor. Therefore, the developed carbonaceous nanomaterials act as potential acceptors in non-fullerene-based polymer solar cells for possible applications.
 
Publisher ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY
 
Date 2016-01-15T07:29:52Z
2016-01-15T07:29:52Z
2015
 
Type Article
 
Identifier JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A, 3(44)22227-22238
2050-7488
2050-7496
http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c5ta06802a
http://dspace.library.iitb.ac.in/jspui/handle/100/18053
 
Language en