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Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering

ISSN 2095-0179

ISSN 2095-0187(Online)

CN 11-5981/TQ

Postal Subscription Code 80-969

2018 Impact Factor: 2.809

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Front. Chem. Sci. Eng.    2021, Vol. 15 Issue (3) : 571-578    https://doi.org/10.1007/s11705-020-2010-1
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Block copolymers as efficient cathode interlayer materials for organic solar cells
Dingqin Hu1, Jiehao Fu1, Shanshan Chen2, Jun Li3, Qianguang Yang1, Jie Gao1, Hua Tang1, Zhipeng Kan1, Tainan Duan1, Shirong Lu1(), Kuan Sun2(), Zeyun Xiao1()
1. Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chongqing School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS Chongqing), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
2. MOE Key Laboratory of Low-Grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems, School of Energy & Power Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
3. Library & Information Center, Anhui University of Finance and Economics, Bengbu 233030, China
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Abstract

Emerging needs for the large-scale industrialization of organic solar cells require high performance cathode interlayers to facilitate the charge extraction from organic semiconductors. In addition to improving the efficiency, stability and processability issues are major challenges. Herein, we design block copolymers with well controlled chemical composition and molecular weight for cathode interlayer applications. The block copolymer coated cathodes display high optical transmittance and low work function. Conductivity studies reveal that the block copolymer thin film has abundant conductive channels and excellent longitudinal electron conductivity due to the interpenetrating networks formed by the polymer blocks. Applications of the cathode interlayers in organic solar cells provide higher power conversion efficiency and better stability compared to the most widely-applied ZnO counterparts. Furthermore, no post-treatment is needed which enables excellent processability of the block copolymer based cathode interlayer.
Keywords organic solar cell      block copolymer      cathode interlayer     
Corresponding Author(s): Shirong Lu,Kuan Sun,Zeyun Xiao   
Online First Date: 25 January 2021    Issue Date: 10 May 2021
 Cite this article:   
Dingqin Hu,Jiehao Fu,Shanshan Chen, et al. Block copolymers as efficient cathode interlayer materials for organic solar cells[J]. Front. Chem. Sci. Eng., 2021, 15(3): 571-578.
 URL:  
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fcse/EN/10.1007/s11705-020-2010-1
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fcse/EN/Y2021/V15/I3/571
Fig.1  (a) Chemical structures of the five polymer materials P1?P5; (b) transmittance spectra of the five polymer materials on ITO via spin-coating and (c) UPS.
Fig.2  (a–e) AFM height images (0.5 mm × 0.5 mm) and (f–j) AFM phase images (0.5 mm × 0.5 mm) of the five polymer materials (P1?P5) on ITO.
Fig.3  (a–c) From left to right, C-AFM images (2.0 mm × 2.0 mm) of P1, P3 and P5 cathode interlayer, the thickness of P1, P3 and P5 are over 100 nm; (d) EDS mapping (TEM mode) of the N elements of the P3 block copolymer; (e) sandwich structure to measure longitudinal electron conductivity; (f) Longitudinal electron conductivity of the five polymer materials (P1?P5); (g) current-voltage curves of the five polymer materials (P1?P5).
Fig.4  (a) Device structure and (b) energy levels of the materials used for the organic solar cells; (c) J-V curves of P3HT:PC61BM-based organic solar cells; (d) J-V curves of PCE13:IT-4F-based organic solar cells; (e) EQE curves of P3HT:PC61BM-based organic solar cells; (f) EQE curves of PCE13:IT-4F-based organic solar cells.
Material CIL Voltage/V Jsc/(mA?cm?2) FF/% a) PCE Max/% b) Jscc)
/(mA?cm?2)		 Rs d)
/(W?cm2)		 Rsh d)
/(W?cm2)
P3HT:PC61BM w/o 0.35±0.01(0.36) 9.40±0.2(9.60) 38.6±0.4(42.6) 1.25±0.1(1.47) 8.73 3.24 2.08×103
ZnO 0.63±0.00(0.63) 9.62±0.4(9.86) 65.6±1.4(66.7) 3.98±0.1(4.16) 8.97 1.68 4.09×105
P3 0.63±0.00(0.63) 10.28±0.3(10.52) 62.9±1.3(64.2) 4.06±0.1(4.25) 9.60 2.02 1.19×105
PCE13:IT-4F w/o 0.52±0.01(0.53) 16.26±0.3(16.67) 50.1±0.3(53.1) 4.13±0.3(4.69) 17.35 5.59 8.16×105
ZnO 0.81±0.01(0.82) 18.67±0.3(18.57) 72.1±0.7(72.8) 10.87±0.2(11.09) 17.92 1.08 5.71×106
P3 0.82±0.00(0.82) 19.53±0.1(19.63) 70.3±0.6(71.2) 11.26±0.1(11.45) 18.87 1.27 2.48×106
Tab.1  Photovoltaic properties of organic solar cells without cathode interlayer or with ZnO, or P3 cathode interlayer
Fig.5  (a) Photovoltaic conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of PCE13:IT-4F-based OSCs in ambient atmosphere with humidity of 70% with ZnO or P3 cathode interlayer; (b) contact angles of ZnO and P3 on ITO.
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