A solid polymer electrolyte based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)/polyethylene 3,4-dioxythiophene: sodium polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) has been prepared with various concentrations of incorporated silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) by using solution cast approach. The FTIR spectroscopic study revealed the complexation between the polymeric nanocomposite (PNC) and the Ag NPs. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results infer that the semicrystalline phase of PNC decreases as the amount of incorporated Ag NPs increases. The transmission electron microscope (TEM) image revealed that Ag NPs have diameters ranging from 22 to 43 nm. Complex dielectric permittivity and alternating current (AC) electrical conductivity of nanocomposite films have been investigated in the frequency range from 0.1 Hz to 20 MHz at 30 °C. Dc conductivity ($${\upsigma }_{\mathrm{dc}}$$ σ dc ) values for the nanocomposite films are estimated from AC conductivity plots. The $${\upsigma }_{\mathrm{dc}}$$ σ dc value was observed to increase from 1.98 × 10−9 to 2.29 × 10−7 S.cm−1 for the PNC system incorporated with optimal Ag NPs. From complex impedance (Z*) analysis, it has been found that the bulk electrical resistance (Rb) of the PNC films decreases with increasing the Ag NPs content. Therefore, these obtained PNC films have promising applications in energy storage devices.

Organic and metal oxide-based hybrid solar cells have drawn attention for their improved device performance along with mechanical stability and cost-effectiveness. We investigated the incorporation of various concentrations of copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles (NPs) blended with poly 3-hexylthiophene: [6, 6]-phenyl-C61-butyric methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM) bulk-heterojunction devices. With an optimum concentration of CuO NPs in P3HT: PCBM the devices power conversion efficiency is about 35 % larger than without CuO NPs. The overall improvement in the photovoltaic properties of the device is attributed to the improved optical absorption, crystallinity and roughness of the photoactive layer confirmed by the AFM and XRD characteristics of the blended films. Beyond optimum nanoparticle concentration deteriorates the device performance from high trapped charge density as evidenced by steady-state current-voltage characteristics and charge-extraction-by-linearly-increasing-voltage (CELIV).

No abstract

Understanding the injection barriers and defect states at the metal–organic or inorganic–organic interfaces is one of the key challenges in improving the efficiency of hybrid electronic devices. In this paper, polymer and metal-oxide-based photodiodes are subjected to light soaks to probe the interface and bulk induced defects and energetics. Polymers poly­(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) and poly­[N-9′-heptadecanyl-2,7-carbazole-alt-5,5-(4′,7′-di-2-thienyl-2′,1′,3′-benzothiadiazole)] were used as active medium in an “inverted” sandwich-type device configuration to study the effect of light soak on current–voltage, charge trapped and stored, electroluminescence, photovoltage, and photocurrent characteristics. The results collectively demonstrate a modification to the cathode contact and polymer interface energetics. Ultraviolet (UV)-assisted photodesorption of oxidizing agents at the interface of nanostructured zinc oxide derived from a sol–gel precursor and the polymer lowers the magnitude of cathode work function. As a result, we have realized an efficient light-emitting diode stencilled out of the diode after UV exposure. The work function and interface barrier modification followed by energy band bending within the device is proposed. Our results emphasize the role of unintentional injection barriers and a solution to the issue often encountered in the hybrid organic–inorganic electronic devices.

No abstract