Light-induced degradation of the active layer of polymer-based solar cells

Polymer-based organic solar cells are known to offer a poor stability in real use conditions, and the photodegradation of the active organic layer plays an important role in the reduced lifetime of the devices. This paper focuses on the photodegradation of two conjugated polymers used in organic solar cells, namely poly(2-methoxy-5-(3′,7′-dimethyloctyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene (MDMO-PPV) and poly(3-hexyylthiophene) (P3HT), and their blends with [60]PCBM (methano-fullerene[6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester), a fullerene derivative. MDMO-PPV and P3HT thin films were submitted to photoageing (λ > 300 nm) in the presence and in the absence of oxygen. The mechanisms by which these polymers degrade were elucidated. P3HT, pristine and blended with PCBM, was shown to be much more stable under illumination than MDMO-PPV. The results showed that, if deposited on an inert substrate and well protected from oxygen with a convenient encapsulation, P3HT:PCBM based active layer should be intrinsically stable for several years in use conditions.     

Synthesis of End‐capped Regioregular Poly(3‐hexylthiophene)s via Direct Arylation

The synthesis of regioregular head‐to‐tail poly(3‐hexylthiophene)s capped with aryl groups (Ar‐HT‐P3HTs) has been accomplished by palladium‐catalyzed polycondensation of 2‐bromo‐3‐hexylthiophene ( 1 ) via direct arylation. A variety of aryl groups are installed at the initiated end in 86%–98% selectivity using aryl bromides and iodides as capping agents. The polymerization proceeds via a two‐stage process. Before monomer 1 is consumed, the competitive formation of end‐capped and non‐capped HT‐P3HTs is operative, where the molecular weight increases linearly with monomer conversion. After 1 is consumed, the resulting polymers are coupled with each other to afford highly end‐capped HT‐P3HTs.     

The mechanism of photo- and thermooxidation of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) reconsidered

Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) has been the focus of great interest as it is widely used in organic solar cells. However, P3HT has relatively poor photochemical and thermal stability under ambient atmosphere, which leads to a reduced lifetime of the solar cells. It was therefore necessary to study the photo- and thermooxidation of P3HT. Thin P3HT films were exposed to UV-visible light irradiation and thermal ageing, both in the presence of air. Changes in the infrared spectra of the aged samples were recorded, and the oxidation products were identified. A degradation mechanism that accounted for the modifications in the infrared spectra was then developed. This mechanism confirmed that singlet oxygen plays no decisive role, as previously reported. Oxidation was shown to involve the radical oxidation of the n-hexyl side-chains and the subsequent degradation of the thiophene rings. The breaking of the macromolecular backbone resulted in a loss of π-conjugation, provoking the bleaching of the sample.     

聚3-己基噻吩：非富勒烯太阳能电池中的量子效率损失和电压损失

聚3-己基噻吩(P3HT)以其合成工艺简单、成本低廉的优势,成为有机光伏领域中最具吸引力的电子给体材料之一。然而,目前P3HT: 非富勒烯太阳能电池的光伏性能仍然较差。在本工作中,我们证明了与P3HT: 富勒烯太阳能电池相比,较快的电荷转移态的非辐射衰减速率(K_nr)是导致P3HT: 非富勒烯太阳能电池中较低的量子效率和较高的电压损失的原因。然后,我们研究了基于非富勒烯受体ZY-4Cl的太阳能电池的工作机理。研究结果表明与P3HT: 非富勒烯体系相比,P3HT: ZY-4Cl中K_nr的降低改善了器件的量子效率,同时降低了电压损失。K_nr降低的原因可以部分归因于电荷转移态能量的增加。此外,给体分子和受体分子之间的距离(DA间距)的增大也是K_nr减少的重要原因。因此,我们得出结论：为了提高P3HT太阳能电池的性能,需进一步降低器件的K_nr,这可通过增加活性层中的DA间距来实现。     

聚3-己基噻吩：非富勒烯太阳能电池中的量子效率损失和电压损失

From the industrial perspective, poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) is one of the most attractive donor materials in organic photovoltaics. The large bandgap in P3HT makes it particularly promising for efficient indoor light harvesting, a unique advantage of organic photovoltaic (PV) devices, and this has started to gain considerable attention in the field of PV technology. In addition, the up-scalability and long material stability associated with the simple chemical structure make P3HT one of the most promising materials for the mass production of organic solar cells. However, the solar cells based on P3HT has a low power conversion efficiency (PCE), which is less than 11%, mainly due to significant voltage losses. In this study, we identified the origin of the high quantum efficiency and voltage losses in the P3HT: non-fullerene based solar cells, and we proposed a strategy to reduce the losses. More specifically, we observed that: 1) the non-radiative decay rate of the charge transfer (CT) states formed at the donor–acceptor interfaces was much higher for the P3HT: non-fullerene solar cells than that for the P3HT: fullerene solar cells, which was the main reason for the more severely limited photovoltage; 2) the origin of the high non-radiative decay rate in the P3HT: non-fullerene solar cell could be ascribed to the short packing distance between the P3HT and non-fullerene acceptor molecules at the donor–acceptor interfaces (DA distance), which is a rarely studied interfacial structural property, highly important in determining the decay rate of CT states; 3) the lower voltage loss in the state-of-the-art P3HT solar cell based on the 2, 2'-((12, 13-bis(2-butyldecyl)-3, 9-diundecyl-12, 13-dihydro-[1, 2, 5]-thiadiazolo[3, 4-e]thieno[2', 3': 4', 5']thieno[2', 3': 4, 5]p-yrolo[3, 2-g]thieno[2', 3': 4, 5]thieno[3, 2-b]indole-2, 10-diyl)bis(methanelylidene))bis(5, 6-dichloro-1H-indene-1, 3(2H)-dion-e) (ZY-4Cl) acceptor could be associated with the better alignment of the energy levels of the active materials and the longer DA distance, compared to those based on the commonly used acceptors. However, the DA distance was still very short, limiting the device voltage. Thus, improving the performance of the P3HT based solar cells requires a further increase in the DA distance. Our findings are expected to pave the way for breaking the performance bottleneck of the P3HT based solar cells.     

Effect of Hydrolyzable Tannins on Glucose-Transporter Expression and Their Bioavailability in Pig Small-Intestinal 3D Cell Model

Intestinal transepithelial transport of glucose is mediated by glucose transporters, and affects postprandial blood-glucose levels. This study investigates the effect of wood extracts rich in hydrolyzable tannins (HTs) that originated from sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) and oak (Quercus petraea) on the expression of glucose transporter genes and the uptake of glucose and HT constituents in a 3D porcine-small-intestine epithelial-cell model. The viability of epithelial cells CLAB and PSI exposed to different HTs was determined using alamarBlue^®. qPCR was used to analyze the gene expression of SGLT1, GLUT2, GLUT4, and POLR2A. Glucose uptake was confirmed by assay, and LC–MS/ MS was used for the analysis of HT bioavailability. HTs at 37 µg/mL were found to adversely affect cell viability and downregulate POLR2A expression. HT from wood extract Tanex at concentrations of 4 µg/mL upregulated the expression of GLUT2, as well as glucose uptake at 1 µg/mL. The time-dependent passage of gallic acid through enterocytes was influenced by all wood extracts compared to gallic acid itself as a control. These results suggest that HTs could modulate glucose uptake and gallic acid passage in the 3D cell model.     

Precision synthesis of regioregular poly(3‐hexylthiophene) with low dispersity using a zincate complex catalyzed by nickel with the ligand of 1,2‐bis(dicyclohexylphosphino)ethane

Regioregular poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) has been a commonly used p‐type semiconducting material for solution processable organic electronics. To establish a living system of “Negishi‐type catalyst‐transfer polycondensation (NCTP)” using zincate complex as a synthetic method for well‐defined P3HT having predictable molecular weight (MW) and low dispersity (?), the ligands of Ni catalyst were optimized. As a result, a ligand of 1,2‐bis(dicyclohexylphosphino)ethane produced P3HTs with highly controlled number average MWs (1650–32,800) and very low ? values (1.03–1.17). The polymerization results were strongly influenced by steric hindrance based on the factors of cone angle and bite angle of Ni catalysts, and/or electron‐donating ability of phosphine ligands. In addition, we succeeded in the two‐stage polymerization of P3HT and the synthesis of P3HT‐b‐poly(3‐octadecylthiophene), the latter of which is the first demonstration by NCTP using zincate complex. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 2287–2296     

Double/single phase segregation and vertical stratification induced by crystallization in all‐crystalline tri/diblock copolymers and homopolymer blends of poly(3‐hexylthiophene) and poly(ethylene glycol)

Distinct stratified and non‐stratified morphologies were developed in poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)‐based homopolymer blends and diblock and triblock copolymer systems. By applying X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, only a double‐percolation mechanism including assembling of P3HT chains into the nanofibers in solution aging process with a marginal solvent like p‐xylene as well as crystallization of PEG phase in the cast thin films resulted in vertical stratification and networked fibrils. In cast thin films whose PEG phase, due to low molecular weight or being constrained between two rigid P3HT blocks in triblock copolymers was not crystallized, a non‐stratified discrete fibrillar morphology was acquired. Crystallization of PEGs in the thin films mainly participated in networking and expelling pre‐organized P3HT fibrils to the film surface. By performing the solution aging step in a good solvent such as o‐dichlorobenzene, the P3HTs remained in a coily‐like conformation, and casting the corresponding thin films reflected the non‐stratified discrete granular and featureless morphologies. Assembling the P3HT chains in the presence of PEG phase in cast films at most led to the low‐crystalline granules instead of highly crystalline nanofibrils. No significant crystallization in either homopolymer blends or block copolymer systems conduced to a featureless morphology with homogeneous distribution of existed materials. The surface morphology and ordering in various morphologies were studied employing atomic force microscopy, grazing incidence X‐ray diffraction, and ultraviolet–visible analyses. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Studies of degradation behaviors of poly (3‐hexylthiophene) layers by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Degradation behaviors of poly(3‐hexylthiophene‐2,5‐diyl) (P3HT) layers on NiO in the presence of H₂O at ambient pressure and dark conditions were studied using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Upon H₂O exposure at 120 °C, partial oxidation of P3HT together with molecular water incorporation, but with the maintained local ring‐structure, were deduced by XPS. Valence band spectra of XPS evidenced that the partial oxidation of P3HT local structure could alter π‐conjugation systems of P3HT layers, forming additional electronic states close to its original highest occupied molecular orbital. For comparison, P3HT surface was also exposed to O₂, and no change in the S 2p and C 1s spectra was found by O₂ exposure at 120 °C, implying that H₂O plays a major role at the initial stage of P3HT oxidation. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of molecular weight on conformational characteristics of poly(3‐hexyl thiophene)

This research focused on the effect of molecular weight and investigated the conformational characteristics of poly(3‐hexyl thiophene) (P3HT). An integrated system consisting of a gel permeation chromatograph, a static light scattering unit, and a viscometer was used for the study. It also estimated the radius of gyration (R_g) values of unsubstituted poly(thiophene) (PT) chains computationally using rotational‐isomeric‐states modeling and compared them with the experimental data for P3HT. In the low molecular weight region (20,000 to 30,000), both chains had nearly the same R_g values, meaning that the effect of side‐chains is limited. At higher molecular weights, the P3HT chains expanded more than the PT chains. In the molecular weight region from 20,000 to 60,000, both characteristic ratio and persistence length showed considerable molecular weight dependence. Beyond a molecular weight of 60,000, the molecular weight dependence decreased, and these parameters approached constant values, 16 and 3 nm, respectively. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017 , 55, 1273–1277     

Electrochemical characterization of carbon paste electrodes modified with MgZnGa and ZnGaAl hydrotalcite-like compounds

Two hydrotalcite-like compounds (HTs) were synthesized by coprecipitation. The electrochemical behavior of MgZnGa ([Mg_0.58 Zn_0.17Ga_0.25 (OH)₂] (CO₃)^2? _0.125 1.5 H₂O) and ZnGaAl ([Zn_0.75Ga_0.19 Al_0.06 (OH)₂] (CO₃)^2? _0.125·1.5 H₂O) Hydrotalcite-like compounds (HTs) was studied in NaOH at different concentrations. Voltammetric and chronoamperometric studies were performed to identify oxidation and reduction processes and the effect of the cations in total reactivity. Electrocatalytic effect of HTs on hydroxide electrochemical oxidation shows better performance of MgZnGa; this is apparently due to the presence of Mg and a greater amount of Ga³⁺ in the lattice of this HT. As far as reduction is concerned, Zn(II) reduction process is observed within the lattices of both HTs and is influenced by both the amount of OH^? in the solution and the potential which the previous oxidation has been performed.     

High‐resolution MALDI‐TOF MS study on analysis of low‐molecular‐weight products from photo‐oxidation of poly(3‐hexylthiophene)

High‐resolution matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (TOF MS) was used for the analysis of the low‐molecular‐weight products from the photo‐oxidation of poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) in solution and thin film. Eight new peak series were observed in the low‐mass range of the mass spectra of the products degraded in solution, and the formulas of the eight components were determined from the accurate mass. From SEC/MALDI‐TOF MS, two components were identified as the degraded products, and the other six components were derived from the fragmentation of the degraded products during the MALDI process. A mechanism for the formation of these components was proposed on the basis of the results of MALDI‐TOF MS. For the thin film degradation, a part of products in the solution degradation were observed, which supports that the oxidation of P3HT in solution and thin film proceeded in the same mechanism. This study shows that high‐resolution MALDI‐TOF MS is effective for the analysis of the low‐molecular‐weight products from P3HT photo‐oxidation and expected to be feasible for the degradation analyses of other polymers. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of polydispersity on the bulk‐heterojunction morphology of P3HT:PCBM solar cells

Bulk heterojunctions (BHJs) based on semiconducting electron–donor polymer and electron–acceptor fullerene have been extensively investigated as potential photoactive layers for organic solar cells (OSCs). In the experimental studies, poly‐(3‐hexyl‐thiophene) (P3HT) polymers are hardly monodisperse as the synthesis of highly monodisperse polymer mixture is a near impossible task to achieve. However, the majority of the computational efforts on P3HT: phenyl‐C61‐butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM)‐based OSCs, a monodisperse P3HT is usually considered. Here, results from coarse‐grained molecular dynamics simulations of solvent evaporation and thermal annealing process of the BHJ are shared describing the effect of variability in molecular weight (also known as polydispersity) on the morphology of the active layer. Results affirm that polydispersity is beneficial for charge separation as the interfacial area is observed to increase with higher dispersity. Calculations of percolation and orientation tensors, on the other hand, reveal that a certain polydispersity index ranging between 1.05 and 1.10 should be maintained for optimal charge transport. Most importantly, these results point out that the consideration of polydispersity should be considered in computational studies of polymer‐based OSCs. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2019 , 57, 895–903     

Random poly(3‐hexylthiophene‐co‐3‐cyanothiophene‐co‐3‐(2‐ethylhexyl)thiophene) copolymers with high open‐circuit voltage in polymer solar cells

For the purpose of developing poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) based copolymers with deep‐lying highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) levels for polymer solar cells with high open‐circuit voltage (V_oc), we report a combined approach of random incorporation of 3‐cyanothiophene (CNT) and 3‐(2‐ethylhexyl)thiophene (EHT) units into the P3HT backbone. This strategy is designed to overcome CNT content limitations in recently reported P3HT‐CNT copolymers, where incorporation of more than 15% of CNT into the polymer backbone leads to impaired polymer solubility and raises the HOMO level. This new approach allows incorporation of a larger CNT content, reaching even lower‐lying HOMO levels. Importantly, a very low HOMO level of ?5.78 eV was obtained, representing one of the lowest HOMO values for exclusively thiophene‐based polymers. Lower HOMO levels result in higher V_oc and higher power conversion efficiencies (PCE) compared to the previously reported P3HT‐CNT copolymers containing only 3‐hexylthiophene and CNT units. As a result, solar cells based on P3HT‐CNT‐EHT(15:15) , which contains 70% of P3HT, 15% of CNT and 15% of EHT, yield a V_oc of 0.83 V in blends with PC₆₁BM while preserving high fill factor (FF) and high short‐circuit current density (J_sc), resulting in 3.6% PCE. Additionally, we explored the effect of polymer number‐average molecular weight (M_n) on the optoelectronic properties and solar cell performance for the example of P3HT‐CNT‐EHT(15:15). The organic photovoltaic (OPV) performance improves with polymer M_n increasing from 3.4 to 6.7 to 9.6 kDa and then it declines as M_n further increases to 9.9 and to 16.2 kDa. The molecular weight study highlights the importance of not only the solar cell optimization, but also the significance of individual polymer properties optimization, in order to fully explore the potential of any given polymer in OPVs. The broader ramification of this study lies in potential application of these high band gap copolymers with low‐lying HOMO level in the development of ternary blend photovoltaics as well as tandem OPV. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 1526–1536     

Correlating interface heterostructure, charge recombination, and device efficiency of poly(3-hexyl thiophene)/TiO2 nanorod solar cell

The charge recombination rate in poly(3-hexyl thiophene)/TiO(2) nanorod solar cells is demonstrated to correlate to the morphology of the bulk heterojunction (BHJ) and the interfacial properties between poly(3-hexyl thiophene) (P3HT) and TiO(2). The recombination resistance is obtained in P3HT/TiO(2) nanorod devices by impedance spectroscopy. Surface morphology and phase separation of the bulk heterojunction are characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The surface charge of bulk heterojunction is investigated by Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). Lower charge recombination rate and lifetime have been observed for the charge carriers in appropriate heterostructures of hybrid P3HT/TiO(2) nanorod processed via high boiling point solvent and made of high molecular weight P3HT. Additionally, through surface modification on TiO(2) nan,orod, decreased recombination rate and longer charge carrier lifetime are obtained owing to creation of a barrier between the donor phases (P3HT) and the acceptor phases (TiO(2)). The effect of the film morphology of hybrid and interfacial properties on charge carrier recombination finally leads to different outcome of photovoltaic I-V characteristics. The BHJ fabricated from dye-modified TiO(2) blended with P3HT exhibits 2.6 times increase in power conversion efficiency due to the decrease of recombination rate by almost 2 orders of magnitude as compared with the BHJ made with unmodified TiO(2). In addition, the interface heterostructure, charge lifetime, and device efficiency of P3HT/TiO(2) nanorod solar cells are correlated.     

Enhanced properties of photovoltaic devices tailored with novel supramolecular structures based on reduced graphene oxide nanosheets grafted/functionalized with thiophenic materials

For verifying the influence of donor–acceptor supramolecules on photovoltaic properties, different hybrids were designed and used in organic solar cells. In this respect, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was functionalization with 2‐thiophene acetic acid (rGO‐f‐TAA) and grafted with poly(3‐dodecylthiophene) (rGO‐g‐PDDT) and poly(3‐thiophene ethanol) (rGO‐g‐PTEt) to manipulate orientation of poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) assemblies. Face‐on, edge‐on, and flat‐on orientations were detected for assembled P3HTs on rGO and its functionalized and grafted derivatives, respectively. Alteration of P3HT orientation from face‐on to flat‐on enhanced current density (J _sc), fill factor (FF), and power conversion efficiency (PCE) and thus J _sc = 7.11 mA cm^?2, FF = 47%, and PCE = 2.14% were acquired. By adding phenyl‐C71‐butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) to active layers composed of pre‐designed P3HT/rGO, P3HT/rGO‐f‐TAA, P3HT/rGO‐g‐PDDT, and P3HT/rGO‐g‐PTEt hybrids, photovoltaic characteristics further improved, demonstrating that supramolecules appropriately mediated in P3HT:PC71BM solar cells. Phase separation was more intensified in best‐performing photovoltaic systems. Larger P3HT crystals assembled onto grafted rGOs (95–143 nm) may have acted as convenient templates for the larger and more intensified phase separation in P3HT:PCBM films. The best performances were reached for P3HT:P3HT/rGO‐g‐PDDT:PCBM (J _sc = 9.45 mA cm^?2, FF = 54%, and PCE = 3.16%) and P3HT:P3HT/rGO‐g‐PTEt:PCBM (J _sc = 9.32 mA cm^?2, FF = 53%, and PCE = 3.11%) photovoltaic systems. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017 , 55 , 1877–1889     

Synthesis and photovoltaic properties of two-dimensional conjugated polythiophenes with bi(thienylenevinylene) side chains

Three two-dimensional (2-D) conjugated polythiophenes with bi(thienylenevinylene) side chains (biTV-PTs), P1, P2, and P3, were designed and synthesized for application in polymer solar cells. The absorption spectral, electrochemical, and photovoltaic properties of the biTV-PTs were investigated and compared with those of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). The biTV-PTs show a broad absorption band from 350 to 650 nm; especially, the absorption spectrum of P3 displays a broad plateau and much stronger absorbance than that of P3HT in the wavelength range from 350 to 480 nm. Cyclic voltammograms reveal that the onset oxidation and reduction potentials of the biTV-PTs positively shifted by ca. 0.2 V in comparison with those of P3HT, indicating that the HOMO energy level of the biTV-PTs is ca. 0.2 eV lower than that of P3HT. Polymer solar cells (PSCs) were fabricated based on the blend of the polymers and 1-(3-methoxycarbonyl)propyl-1-phenyl-[6,6]-C-61 (PCBM) with a weight ratio of 1:1. The open circuit voltage of the PSCs based on the biTV-PTs is ca. 0.1 V higher than that of P3HT, which is benefited from the lower HOMO levels of the biTV-PTs. The maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the PSCs based on P3 reached 3.18% under AM 1.5, 100 mW/cm2, which is 38% increased in comparison with that (2.41%) of the devices based on P3HT under the same experimental conditions. The results indicate that the 2-D conjugated biTV-PTs are promising polymer photovoltaic materials.     

The thermal decomposition of Mg-Al hydrotalcites: effects of interlayer anions and characteristics of the final structure

The thermal decomposition of hydrotalcites (HTs) with different interlayer anions in the 298-523 K region has been investigated by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and IR, 27Al MAS-NMR and X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. The thermal stability of the HT with interlayer oxalate was remarkably higher than that of HTs with interlayer carbonate; the onset temperatures for decomposition were 523 K and 473 K, respectively. It is proposed that the basicity of the interlayer anion is the key factor in the onset of dehydroxylation of the brucite-like layers: the lower the basicity, the more thermally stable the HT compound. After heat treatment at 723 K, small Mg(Al)O domains (approximately 5 nm) within the HT crystallites cause broadening of the XRD reflections. The electron diffraction pattern consists of spots and rings, due to nonrandomly oriented crystalline material. Formation of disordered bonds, caused by nonideal packing between the decomposing adjacent cation layers in the (111) direction, could explain the expanded d value in the resulting MgO-like phase observed with XRD and electron diffraction. The orientation of the Mg(Al)O domains in the heat-treated material may be crucial for the so-called "memory effect" of HTs.     

聚方酸太阳电池材料的合成与表征

通过Yamamoto偶联反应,合成了主链含有1,2-取代方酸和1,3-取代方酸结构单元的新型共轭聚合物光伏材料PTST.其结构经过红外光谱和核磁共振表征得以确证.热分析、紫外-可见吸收光谱和电化学性质研究表明,所得新型共轭聚合物PTST具有良好的热稳定性;在270～700 nm光谱范围内有宽而强的吸收,基本覆盖了整个可见光区域;取代方酸结构单元的引入可使聚合物的最低未占有轨道(LUMO)和能隙(Eg)降低.当PTST仅为60%掺混时,即可使聚(3-己基噻吩)的荧光完全淬灭,说明P3HT与PTST之间存在明显的光电子转移.     

聚(3-己基噻吩)作为光谱增感层在有机太阳电池光谱响应增强中的应用

报道了利用聚(3-己基噻吩)(P3HT)作为前置缓冲层来弥补(4,8-双-(2-乙基己氧基)-苯并[1,2-b:4,5-b']二噻吩)-(4-氟代噻并[3,4-b]噻吩(PBDT-TT-F):[6,6]-苯基-C₆₁-丁酸甲酯(PC₆₁BM)共混体相异质结(BHJ)电池对450-600 nm处光谱响应不足的新的器件结构设计思路. 光谱带隙为1.8 eV的PBDT-TT-F 在550-700 nm处有很强的光谱吸收, 在有机太阳电池器件上有很好的应用潜能. 但其在350-550 nm处的吸收不强, 影响了器件对太阳光谱的利用效率. 与此相比, P3HT薄膜的光谱吸收主要在450-600 nm范围内, 同PBDT-TT-F 形成良好的互补关系. 新设计的器件外量子效率(EQE)研究结果表明, 利用P3HT 作为前置缓冲层可以与PBDT-TT-F:PC₆₁BM薄膜中的PC₆₁BM形成平面异质结, 从而拓展了器件在450-600 nm处的光谱响应范围,实现光谱增感作用. 优化P3HT的厚度为20 nm左右, 器件对外输出的短路光电流密度从11.42 mA·cm^-2提高到12.15 mA·cm^-2, 达到了6.3%的提升.