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Polymers
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Polymer-Based Solar Cells
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Polymer-Based Solar Cells

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 December 2020) | Viewed by 45148

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Dong Hwan Wang

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea
Interests: organic electronics (OPV, OPD, and Perovskite); device physics; nanomaterials (synthesis and characterization); nanomorphology control; nanopatterning; oxide materials; stamping-transfer nanotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Today the world has serious energy problems due to various technological developments and the large energy consumption. In order to meet the exponential growth in energy demand, new energy systems must be developed to replace fossil fuels in order to limit CO2 emissions to ensure a sustainable future environment. Solar cells have been studied for a long time as a next-generation energy system owing to their promise as an environmentally friendly and infinite energy source.

Organic/inorganic and hybrid semiconductor-based electronic devices (e.g. photovoltaic cells, photo-sensors, thin film transistors, and light-emitting diodes) have the potential to provide a solution to present energy issues and to fulfil our future needs by fabricating large surface area, lightweight, and flexible panels through low-cost casting techniques.

In order to improve the performance of polymer-based solar cells, many strategies have been introduced such as: 1) synthesizing electron donor and acceptor materials with a wide absorption range; 2) higher charge carrier mobility (electrical parameters); 3) controlling the nano-morphology; 4) efficient buffer layers; 5) flexible conductive electrodes; and 6) development of new device structures and process, etc.

The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight the progress and phenomena related to organic electronic devices such as photovoltaic cells, photo-sensors, thin film transistors, and light-emitting diodes, etc. We look forward to your contribution describing your recent promising research.

Prof. Dr. Dong Hwan Wang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Organic electronic devices
  • Organic/inorganic and hybrid semiconductor-based device
  • Synthetic metals and newly designed process
  • Opto-electronics
  • Photovoltaic cells
  • Photo-sensors
  • Interface control
  • Nano-morphology
  • Charge carrier dynamics
  • Flexible transparent electrode

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 5418 KiB  
Article
Microstructural Development and Rheological Study of a Nanocomposite Gel Polymer Electrolyte Based on Functionalized Graphene for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
by Pedram Manafi, Hossein Nazockdast, Mohammad Karimi, Mojtaba Sadighi and Luca Magagnin
Polymers 2020, 12(7), 1443; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym12071443 - 27 Jun 2020
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3033
Abstract
For a liquid electrolyte-based dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), long-term device instability is known to negatively affect the ionic conductivity and cell performance. These issues can be resolved by using the so called quasi-solid-state electrolytes. Despite the enhanced ionic conductivity of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), [...] Read more.
For a liquid electrolyte-based dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), long-term device instability is known to negatively affect the ionic conductivity and cell performance. These issues can be resolved by using the so called quasi-solid-state electrolytes. Despite the enhanced ionic conductivity of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), their inherent tendency toward aggregation has limited their application in quasi-solid-state electrolytes. In the present study, the GNPs were chemically modified by polyethylene glycol (PEG) through amidation reaction to obtain a dispersible nanostructure in a poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoro propylene) copolymer and polyethylene oxide (PVDF–HFP/PEO) polymer-blended gel electrolyte. Maximum ionic conductivity (4.11 × 10−3 S cm−1) was obtained with the optimal nanocomposite gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) containing 0.75 wt% functionalized graphene nanoplatelets (FGNPs), corresponding to a power conversion efficiency of 5.45%, which was 1.42% and 0.67% higher than those of the nanoparticle-free and optimized-GPE (containing 1 wt% GNP) DSSCs, respectively. Incorporating an optimum dosage of FGNP, a homogenous particle network was fabricated that could effectively mobilize the redox-active species in the amorphous region of the matrix. Surface morphology assessments were further performed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results of rheological measurements revealed the plasticizing effect of the ionic liquid (IL), offering a proper insight into the polymer–particle interactions within the polymeric nanocomposite. Based on differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) investigations, the decrease in the glass transition temperature (and the resultant increase in flexibility) highlighted the influence of IL and polymer–nanoparticle interactions. The obtained results shed light on the effectiveness of the FGNPs for the DSSCs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Solar Cells)
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14 pages, 3451 KiB  
Article
Acidity Suppression of Hole Transport Layer via Solution Reaction of Neutral PEDOT:PSS for Stable Perovskite Photovoltaics
by Minseong Kim, Minji Yi, Woongsik Jang, Jung Kyu Kim and Dong Hwan Wang
Polymers 2020, 12(1), 129; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym12010129 - 06 Jan 2020
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 4310
Abstract
Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is typically used for hole transport layers (HTLs), as it exhibits attractive mechanical, electrical properties, and easy processability. However, the intrinsically acidic property can degrade the crystallinity of perovskites, limiting the stability and efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In [...] Read more.
Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is typically used for hole transport layers (HTLs), as it exhibits attractive mechanical, electrical properties, and easy processability. However, the intrinsically acidic property can degrade the crystallinity of perovskites, limiting the stability and efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In this study, inverted CH3NH3PbI3 photovoltaic cells were fabricated with acidity suppressed HTL. We adjusted PEDOT:PSS via a solution reaction of acidic and neutral PEDOT:PSS. And we compared the various pH-controlled HTLs for PSCs devices. The smoothness of the pH-controlled PEDOT:PSS layer was similar to that of acidic PEDOT:PSS-based devices. These layers induced favorable crystallinity of perovskite compared with acidic PEDOT:PSS layers. Furthermore, the enhanced stability of pH optimized PEDOT:PSS-based devices, including the prevention of degradation by a strong acid, allowed the device to retain its power conversion efficiency (PCE) value by maintaining 80% of PCE for approximately 150 h. As a result, the pH-controlled HTL layer fabricated through the solution reaction maintained the surface morphology of the perovskite layer and contributed to the stable operation of PSCs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Solar Cells)
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14 pages, 4223 KiB  
Article
π–π Stacking Distance and Phase Separation Controlled Efficiency in Stable All-Polymer Solar Cells
by Ke Zhou, Xiaobo Zhou, Xiaofeng Xu, Chiara Musumeci, Chuanfei Wang, Weidong Xu, Xiangyi Meng, Wei Ma and Olle Inganäs
Polymers 2019, 11(10), 1665; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym11101665 - 12 Oct 2019
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 5532
Abstract
The morphology of the active layer plays a crucial role in determining device performance and stability for organic solar cells. All-polymer solar cells (All-PSCs), showing robust and stable morphologies, have been proven to give better thermal stability than their fullerene counterparts. However, outstanding [...] Read more.
The morphology of the active layer plays a crucial role in determining device performance and stability for organic solar cells. All-polymer solar cells (All-PSCs), showing robust and stable morphologies, have been proven to give better thermal stability than their fullerene counterparts. However, outstanding thermal stability is not always the case for polymer blends, and the limiting factors responsible for the poor thermal stability in some All-PSCs, and how to obtain higher efficiency without losing stability, still remain unclear. By studying the morphology of poly [2,3-bis (3-octyloxyphenyl) quinoxaline-5,8-diyl-alt-thiophene-2,5-diyl](TQ1)/poly[4,8-bis[5-(2-ethylhexyl)-2-thienyl]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-alt-(4-(2-ethylhexyl)-3-fluorothieno[3,4-b]thiophene-)-2-carboxylate-2-6-diyl]] (PCE10)/PNDI-T10 blend systems, we found that the rearranged molecular packing structure and phase separation were mainly responsible for the poor thermal stability in devices containing PCE10. The TQ1/PNDI-T10 devices exhibited an improved PCE with a decreased π–π stacking distance after thermal annealing; PCE10/PNDI-T10 devices showed a better pristine PCE, however, thermal annealing induced the increased π–π stacking distance and thus inferior hole conductivity, leading to a decreased PCE. Thus, a maximum PCE could be achieved in a TQ1/PCE10/PNDI-T10 (1/1/1) ternary system after thermal annealing resulting from their favorable molecular interaction and the trade-off of molecular packing structure variations between TQ1 and PCE10. This indicates that a route to efficient and thermal stable All-PSCs can be achieved in a ternary blend by using material with excellent pristine efficiency, combined with another material showing improved efficiency under thermal annealing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Solar Cells)
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13 pages, 3618 KiB  
Article
Synthesis and Photovoltaic Effect of Electron-Withdrawing Units for Low Band Gap Conjugated Polymers Bearing Bi(thienylenevinylene) Side Chains
by Jianfeng Li, Yufei Wang, Ningning Wang, Zezhou Liang, Xu Wang, Yichun Peng, Junfeng Tong, Chunyan Yang and Yangjun Xia
Polymers 2019, 11(9), 1461; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym11091461 - 06 Sep 2019
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2424
Abstract
A novel (E)-5-(2-(5-alkylthiothiophen-2-yl)vinyl)thien-2-yl (TVT)-comprising benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b’]dithiophene (BDT) derivative (BDT-TVT) was designed and synthetized to compose two donor-acceptor (D-A) typed copolymers (PBDT-TVT-ID and PBDT-TVT-DTNT) with the electron-withdrawing unit isoindigo (ID) and naphtho[1,2-c:5,6-c′]bis[1,2,5]thiadiazole (NT), respectively. PBDT-TVT-ID and PBDT-TVT-DTNT showed good thermal stability (360 °C), [...] Read more.
A novel (E)-5-(2-(5-alkylthiothiophen-2-yl)vinyl)thien-2-yl (TVT)-comprising benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b’]dithiophene (BDT) derivative (BDT-TVT) was designed and synthetized to compose two donor-acceptor (D-A) typed copolymers (PBDT-TVT-ID and PBDT-TVT-DTNT) with the electron-withdrawing unit isoindigo (ID) and naphtho[1,2-c:5,6-c′]bis[1,2,5]thiadiazole (NT), respectively. PBDT-TVT-ID and PBDT-TVT-DTNT showed good thermal stability (360 °C), an absorption spectrum from 300 nm to 760 nm and a relatively low lying energy level of Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital (EHOMO) (−5.36 to –5.45 eV), which could obtain a large open-circuit voltage (Voc) from photovoltaic devices with PBDT-TVT-ID or PBDT-TVT-DTNT. The photovoltaic devices with ITO/PFN/polymers: PC71BM/MoO3/Ag structure were assembled and exhibited a good photovoltaic performance with a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.09% (PBDT-TVT-ID) and 5.44% (PBDT-TVT-DTNT), respectively. The best PCE of a PBDT-TVT-DTNT/PC71BM-based device mainly originated from its wider absorption, higher hole mobility and favorable photoactive layer morphology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Solar Cells)
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13 pages, 4360 KiB  
Article
Synthesis of Cyano-Substituted Conjugated Polymers for Photovoltaic Applications
by Mun Ho Yang, Ho Cheol Jin, Joo Hyun Kim and Dong Wook Chang
Polymers 2019, 11(5), 746; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym11050746 - 26 Apr 2019
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3259
Abstract
Three conjugated polymers, in which the electron-donating (D) 5-alkylthiophene-2-yl-substitued benzodithiophene was linked to three different electron-accepting (A) moieties, i.e., benzothiadiazole (BT), diphenylquinoxaline (DPQ), and dibenzophenazine (DBP) derivative via thiophene bridge, were synthesized using the Stille coupling reaction. In particular, the strong electron-withdrawing cyano [...] Read more.
Three conjugated polymers, in which the electron-donating (D) 5-alkylthiophene-2-yl-substitued benzodithiophene was linked to three different electron-accepting (A) moieties, i.e., benzothiadiazole (BT), diphenylquinoxaline (DPQ), and dibenzophenazine (DBP) derivative via thiophene bridge, were synthesized using the Stille coupling reaction. In particular, the strong electron-withdrawing cyano (CN) group was incorporated into the A units BT, DPQ, and DBP to afford three D–A type target polymers PB–BTCN, PB–DPQCN, and PB–DBPCN, respectively. Owing to the significant contribution of the CN-substituent, these polymers exhibit not only low-lying energy levels of both the highest occupied molecular orbital and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital, but also reduced bandgaps. Furthermore, to investigate the photovoltaic properties of polymers, inverted-type devices with the structure of ITO/ZnO/Polymer:PC71BM/MoO3/Ag were fabricated and analyzed. All the polymer solar cells based on the three cyano-substituted conjugated polymers showed high open-circuit voltages (Voc) greater than 0.89 V, and the highest power conversion efficiency of 4.59% was obtained from the device based on PB-BtCN with a Voc of 0.93 V, short-circuit current of 7.36 mA cm−2, and fill factor of 67.1%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Solar Cells)
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16 pages, 3916 KiB  
Article
Modeling of High-Efficiency Multi-Junction Polymer and Hybrid Solar Cells to Absorb Infrared Light
by Jobeda J. Khanam and Simon Y. Foo
Polymers 2019, 11(2), 383; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym11020383 - 22 Feb 2019
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 6596
Abstract
In this paper, we present our work on high-efficiency multi-junction polymer and hybrid solar cells. The transfer matrix method is used for optical modeling of an organic solar cell, which was inspired by the McGehee Group in Stanford University. The software simulation calculates [...] Read more.
In this paper, we present our work on high-efficiency multi-junction polymer and hybrid solar cells. The transfer matrix method is used for optical modeling of an organic solar cell, which was inspired by the McGehee Group in Stanford University. The software simulation calculates the optimal thicknesses of the active layers to provide the best short circuit current (JSC) value. First, we show three designs of multi-junction polymer solar cells, which can absorb sunlight beyond the 1000 nm wavelengths. Then we present a novel high-efficiency hybrid (organic and inorganic) solar cell, which can absorb the sunlight with a wavelength beyond 2500 nm. Approximately 12% efficiency was obtained for the multi-junction polymer solar cell and 20% efficiency was obtained from every two-, three- and four-junction hybrid solar cell under 1 sun AM1.5 illumination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Solar Cells)
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9 pages, 2310 KiB  
Communication
PEG-assisted Sol-gel Synthesis of Compact Nickel Oxide Hole-Selective Layer with Modified Interfacial Properties for Organic Solar Cells
by Jung Kyu Kim
Polymers 2019, 11(1), 120; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym11010120 - 11 Jan 2019
Cited by 33 | Viewed by 6167
Abstract
As a p-type metal oxide, nickel oxide (NiO) has been extensively utilized for providing a favorable hole transport pathway in organic solar cells (OSCs). To obtain higher crystallinity, a post-annealing process at high temperature is required for the NiO layer. Therefore, fluorine-doped [...] Read more.
As a p-type metal oxide, nickel oxide (NiO) has been extensively utilized for providing a favorable hole transport pathway in organic solar cells (OSCs). To obtain higher crystallinity, a post-annealing process at high temperature is required for the NiO layer. Therefore, fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass has been widely used for the substrate of NiO. However, the rough surface of the FTO substrate deteriorates the interfacial properties of the NiO layer, which hinders efficient charge extraction in OSCs. In this study, a facile polyethylene glycol (PEG)-assisted sol-gel synthesis of the compact NiO layer as the hole-selective layer is demonstrated. The compact NiO layer has a significantly uniform and smooth surface morphology, facilitating better interfacial properties for favorable charge transport. The modified interfacial properties outstandingly promote the charge migration and recombination blocking in OSCs. In addition, a hybrid structure with compact NiO and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) is designed to form a cascade charge extraction and passivate possible pinholes on the NiO layer. Consequently, the compact NiO layer enhances all the parameters determining the power conversion efficiency, including the open-circuit potential (Voc), short-circuit current density (Jsc), and fill factor (FF). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Solar Cells)
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Review

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19 pages, 2424 KiB  
Review
Research Progress on Polymer Solar Cells Based on PEDOT:PSS Electrodes
by Lin Hu, Jiaxing Song, Xinxing Yin, Zhen Su and Zaifang Li
Polymers 2020, 12(1), 145; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym12010145 - 07 Jan 2020
Cited by 81 | Viewed by 12702
Abstract
Solution-processed polymer solar cells (PSCs) have attracted dramatically increasing attention over the past few decades owing to their advantages of low cost, solution processability, light weight, and excellent flexibility. Recent progress in materials synthesis and devices engineering has boosted the power conversion efficiency [...] Read more.
Solution-processed polymer solar cells (PSCs) have attracted dramatically increasing attention over the past few decades owing to their advantages of low cost, solution processability, light weight, and excellent flexibility. Recent progress in materials synthesis and devices engineering has boosted the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of single-junction PSCs over 17%. As an emerging technology, it is still a challenge to prepare solution-processed flexible electrodes for attractive flexible PSCs. Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is one of the most promising candidates for electrodes due to its high conductivity (>4000 S/cm), excellent transmittance (>90%), intrinsically high work function (WF > 5.0 eV), and aqueous solution processability. To date, a great number of single-junction PSCs based on PEDOT:PSS electrodes have realized a PCE over 12%. In this review, we introduce the current research on the conductive complex PEDOT:PSS as well as trace the development of PEDOT:PSS used in electrodes for high performance PSCs and perovskite solar cells. We also discuss and comment on the aspects of conductivity, transmittance, work-function adjustment, film preparing methods, and device fabrications. A perspective on the challenges and future directions in this field is be offered finally. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Solar Cells)
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