PEIE capped ZnO as cathode buffer layer with enhanced charge transfer ability for high efficiency polymer solar cells

Authors/Creators

• Ping Li
• Lun Cai
• Gang Wang
• Da Chen Zhou
• Jin Xiang
• Yu Jun Zhang
• Bao Fu Ding, Edith Cowan University
• Kamal Alameh, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
• Qun Liang Song

Abstract

In this work, a cathode buffer layer (CBL) with higher charge transfer ability was fabricated by using polyethylenimine ethoxylated (PEIE) covered ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) (ZnO/PEIE). A high power conversion efficiency of 3.8% was achieved for an inverted polymer solar cell based on poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT):phenyl C₆₁-butryricacid methyl ester (PCBM) by using this ZnO/PEIE CBL, which is much higher than that of other cells with only PEIE or ZnO CBL. Transient photovoltage/photocurrent and electrochemical impedance measurements confirm that device with ZnO/PEIE bilayer has faster charge transfer ability and less interfacial charge recombination than devices with other CBLs. AFM characterization shows that ZnO NPs are uniformly covered by PEIE, which would be not only lower the work function of ZnO, but also be beneficial to reduce defects caused by oxygen adsorption on ZnO.

Keywords

Polymer solar cells, Thermal annealing-free, Buffer layer, ZnO nanoparticles, PEIE

Document Type

Journal Article

Date of Publication

2015

Faculty

Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science

Publisher

Elsevier

School

School of Engineering

RAS ID

21513

Comments

Li, P., Cai, L., Wang, G., Xiang, J., Zhang, Y. J., Ding, B. F., ... & Song, Q. L. (2015). PEIE capped ZnO as cathode buffer layer with enhanced charge transfer ability for high efficiency polymer solar cells. Synthetic Metals, 203, 243-248. Available here

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