In Situ Growth of Metal Sulfide Nanocrystals in Poly(3-hexylthiophene): [6,6]-Phenyl C61-Butyric Acid Methyl Ester Films for Inverted Hybrid Solar Cells with Enhanced Photocurrent

• Main Authors: Chunyan Yang, Yingying Sun, Xinjie Li, Cheng Li, Junfeng Tong, Jianfeng Li, Peng Zhang, Yangjun Xia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SpringerOpen 2018-06-01
• Series: Nanoscale Research Letters
• Subjects: Hybrid solar cells (HSCs); P3HT:PC61BM; CdS or Sb2S3 nanocrystals; In situ; Cadmium or antimony xanthate precursor
• Online Access: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s11671-018-2596-0

Abstract It has been reported that the performance of bulk heterojunction organic solar cells can be improved by incorporation of nano-heterostructures of metals, semiconductors, and dielectric materials in the active layer. In this manuscript, CdS or Sb2S3 nanocrystals were in situ generated inside the poly(3-hexylthiophene): [6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid (P3HT:PC61BM) system by randomly mixing P3HT and PC61BM in the presence of cadmium or antimony xanthate precursor. Hybrid solar cells (HSCs) with the configurations of tin-doped indium oxide substrate (ITO)/CdS interface layer/P3HT:PC61BM: x wt.% CdS/MoO3/Ag and ITO/CdS interface layer /P3HT:PC61BM: x wt.% Sb2S3/MoO3/Ag were fabricated. Hybrid active layers (P3HT:PC61BM: x wt.% CdS or P3HT:PC61BM: x wt.% Sb2S3) were formed completely by thermally annealing the film resulting in the decomposition of the cadmium or antimony xanthate precursor to CdS or Sb2S3 nanocrystals, respectively. The effects of x wt.% CdS (or Sb2S3) nanocrystals on the performance of the HSCs were studied. From UV–Vis absorption, hole mobilities, and surface morphological characterizations, it has been proved that incorporation of 3 wt.% CdS (or Sb2S3) nanocrystals in the active layer of P3HT:PC61BM-based solar cells improved the optical absorption, the hole mobility, and surface roughness in comparison with P3HT:PC61BM-based solar cells, thus resulting in the improved power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of the devices.