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Polymer‐Fullerene Bulk‐Heterojunction Solar Cells

Gilles Dennler et al.Feb 9, 2009

Abstract Solution‐processed bulk‐heterojunction solar cells have gained serious attention during the last few years and are becoming established as one of the future photovoltaic technologies for low‐cost power production. This article reviews the highlights of the last few years, and summarizes today's state‐of‐the‐art performance. An outlook is given on relevant future materials and technologies that have the potential to guide this young photovoltaic technology towards the magic 10% regime. A cost model supplements the technical discussions, with practical aspects any photovoltaic technology needs to fulfil, and answers to the question as to whether low module costs can compensate lower lifetimes and performances.

Mechanical Engineering

Electrical And Electronic Engineering

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Mechanical Engineering

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Organic solar cells with carbon nanotube network electrodes

Michael Rowell et al.Jun 5, 2006

We fabricated flexible transparent conducting electrodes by printing films of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) networks on plastic and have demonstrated their use as transparent electrodes for efficient, flexible polymer-fullerene bulk-heterojunction solar cells. The printing method produces relatively smooth, homogeneous films with a transmittance of 85% at 550nm and a sheet resistance (Rs) of 200Ω∕◻. Cells were fabricated on the SWNT/plastic anodes identically to a process optimized for ITO/glass. Efficiencies, 2.5% (AM1.5G), are close to ITO/glass and are affected primarily by Rs. Bending test comparisons with ITO/plastic show the SWNT/plastic electrodes to be far more flexible.

Materials Chemistry

Electrical And Electronic Engineering

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Design Rules for Donors in Bulk‐Heterojunction Tandem Solar Cells�Towards 15 % Energy‐Conversion Efficiency

Gilles Dennler et al.Jan 17, 2008

Organic Chemistry

Electrical And Electronic Engineering

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Flexible, long-lived, large-area, organic solar cells

Christoph Lungenschmied et al.Nov 28, 2006

We report herein large area (>10 cm2), interconnected organic solar cell modules both on glass substrates as well as on flexible ultra-high barrier foils, reaching 1.5% and 0.5% overall power conversion efficiency under AM1.5 conditions. Series connection is described, as these modules consist of up to three cells. Using our flexible barrier material, a shelf lifetime of polythiophene-based solar cells of 6000 h could be realized. Furthermore, we compare the photovoltaic performance of efficient conjugated polymer:fullerene solar cell modules with established technologies. Under typical indoor-office lighting, our modules are competitive with these systems.

Organic Chemistry

Biomedical Engineering

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Synthesis, Characterization, and Electronic Structure of Single-Crystal SnS, Sn₂S₃, and SnS₂

Lee Burton et al.Nov 27, 2013

Tin sulfide is being widely investigated as an earth-abundant light harvesting material, but recorded efficiencies for SnS fall far below theoretical limits. We describe the synthesis and characterization of the single-crystal tin sulfides (SnS, SnS2, and Sn2S3) through chemical vapor transport, and combine electronic structure calculations with time-resolved microwave conductivity measurements to shed light on the underlying electrical properties of each material. We show that the coexistence of the Sn(II) and Sn(IV) oxidation states would limit the performance of SnS in photovoltaic devices due to the valence band alignment of the respective phases and the "asymmetry" in the underlying point defect behavior. Furthermore, our results suggest that Sn2S3, in addition to SnS, is a candidate material for low-cost thin-film solar cells.

Organic Chemistry

Condensed Matter Physics

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Solar Power Wires Based on Organic Photovoltaic Materials

Michael Lee et al.Mar 13, 2009

Organic photovoltaics in a flexible wire format has potential advantages that are described in this paper. A wire format requires long-distance transport of current that can be achieved only with conventional metals, thus eliminating the use of transparent oxide semiconductors. A phase-separated, photovoltaic layer, comprising a conducting polymer and a fullerene derivative, is coated onto a thin metal wire. A second wire, coated with a silver film, serving as the counter electrode, is wrapped around the first wire. Both wires are encased in a transparent polymer cladding. Incident light is focused by the cladding onto to the photovoltaic layer even when it is completely shadowed by the counter electrode. Efficiency values of the wires range from 2.79% to 3.27%.

Electrical And Electronic Engineering

Polymers And Plastics

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Electrical And Electronic Engineering

365

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Influence of the Bridging Atom on the Performance of a Low‐Bandgap Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cell

Markus Scharber et al.Aug 15, 2009

Biochemistry

Organic Chemistry

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Near IR Sensitization of Organic Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells: Towards Optimization of the Spectral Response of Organic Solar Cells

Markus Koppe et al.Dec 14, 2009

Abstract The spectroscopic response of a poly(3‐hexylthiophene)/[6,6]‐phenyl‐C 61 ‐butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT/PCBM)‐based bulk heterojunction solar cell is extended into the near infrared region (NIR) of the spectrum by adding the low bandgap polymer poly[2,6‐(4,4‐bis‐(2‐ethylhexyl)‐4 H ‐cyclopenta[2,1‐ b ;3,4‐ b ´]‐dithiophene)‐ alt ‐4,7‐(2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole)] [PCPDTBT] to the blend. The dominant mechanism behind the enhanced photosensitivity of the ternary blend is found to be a two‐step process: first, an ultrafast and efficient photoinduced charge transfer generates positive charges on P3HT and PCPDTBT and a negative charge on PCBM. In a second step, the positive charge on PCPDTBT is transferred to P3HT. Thus, P3HT serves two purposes. On the one hand it is involved in the generation of charge carriers by the photoinduced electron transfer to PCBM, and, on the other hand, it forms the charge transport matrix for the positive carriers transferred from PCPDTBT. Other mechanisms, such as energy transfer or photoinduced charge transfer directly between the two polymers, are found to be absent or negligible.

Organic Chemistry

Electrical And Electronic Engineering

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Is the Cu/Zn Disorder the Main Culprit for the Voltage Deficit in Kesterite Solar Cells?

S. Bourdais et al.Mar 29, 2016

Photovoltaic thin film solar cells based on kesterite Cu 2 ZnSn(S x ,Se 1–x ) 4 compounds (CZTSSe) have reached >12% sunlight‐to‐electricity conversion efficiency. This is still far from the >20% record devices known in Cu(In 1–y ,Ga y )Se 2 and CdTe parent technologies. A selection of >9% CZTSSe devices reported in the literature is examined to review the progress achieved over the past few years. These devices suffer from a low open‐circuit voltage ( V oc ) never better than 60% of the V oc max , which is expected from the Shockley‐Queisser radiative limit (S‐Q limit). The possible role of anionic (S/Se) distribution and of cationic (Cu/Zn) disorder on the V oc deficit and on the ultimate photovoltaic performance of kesterite devices, are clarified here. While the S/Se anionic distribution is expected to be homogeneous for any ratio x, some grain‐to‐grain and other non‐uniformity over larger area can be found, as quantified on our CZTSSe films. Nevertheless, these anionic distributions can be considered to have a negligible impact on the V oc deficit. On the Cu/Zn order side, even though significant bandgap changes (>10%) can be observed, a similar conclusion is brought from experimental devices and from calculations, still within the radiative S‐Q limit. The implications and future ways for improvement are discussed.

Materials Chemistry

Electrical And Electronic Engineering

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Are Binary Copper Sulfides/Selenides Really New and Promising Thermoelectric Materials?

Gilles Dennler et al.Feb 12, 2014

Copper sulfides and copper selenides have recently been reported as new and promising low‐cost and environmentally friendly thermoelectric materials. Here, it is shown that these materials have actually been studied for more than 190 years and the absence of commercial thermoelectric modules based on them stems from some major intrinsic issues related to these chalcogenides. Further development of these semiconductors will require addressing and solving these problems before large scale utilization can be considered.

Ecology

Materials Chemistry

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Paper

Ecology

247

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Polymer‐Fullerene Bulk‐Heterojunction Solar Cells

Organic solar cells with carbon nanotube network electrodes

Design Rules for Donors in Bulk‐Heterojunction Tandem Solar Cells�Towards 15 % Energy‐Conversion Efficiency

Flexible, long-lived, large-area, organic solar cells

Synthesis, Characterization, and Electronic Structure of Single-Crystal SnS, Sn2S3, and SnS2

Solar Power Wires Based on Organic Photovoltaic Materials

Influence of the Bridging Atom on the Performance of a Low‐Bandgap Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cell

Near IR Sensitization of Organic Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells: Towards Optimization of the Spectral Response of Organic Solar Cells

Is the Cu/Zn Disorder the Main Culprit for the Voltage Deficit in Kesterite Solar Cells?

Are Binary Copper Sulfides/Selenides Really New and Promising Thermoelectric Materials?

Synthesis, Characterization, and Electronic Structure of Single-Crystal SnS, Sn₂S₃, and SnS₂