Charge transfer in photovoltaics consisting of interpenetrating networks of conjugated polymer and TiO2 nanoparticles

Abstract

We study the effect of blended and layered titanium dioxide (TiO 2) nanoparticles on charge transfer processes in conjugated polymer photovoltaics. A two order of magnitude increase in photoconductivity and sharp saturation is observed for layered versus blended structures, independent of the cathode work function. Using electrodes with similar work functions, we observe low dark currents and open circuit voltages of 0.7 V when a TiO 2 nanoparticle layer is self-assembled onto the indium-tin-oxide electrode. Our results for the layered morphologies are consistent with charge collection by exciton diffusion and dissociation at the TiO 2 interface.

Photopatterning of PMMA Films with Gold Nanoparticles: Diffusion of AuCl4− Ions

“…[1][2][3][4] Such composites are seen as fundamental components for the next generation of light and flexible electronic devices. Therefore, producing such materials in a controlled way is of upmost importance and still presents several challenges.…”

Analytical theory of polymer-network-mediated interaction between colloidal particles

“…The mechanical properties of the material will strongly depend on the size and conformation of colloidal aggregates (1)(2)(3)(4)(5), and, in the last instance, on the polymer-network-mediated colloidal interactions. Semiconductor nanocolloids can be incorporated in polymer-based organic photovoltaic devices to improve efficiency (6)(7)(8)(9)(10), therefore, controlling the aggregation of colloids is needed to optimize the performances of materials for renewable energy production. For these reasons, there is an urgent need of tools to understand and control colloidal interactions in polymer networks, which is currently a bottleneck in the rational design of functional nanostructured materials.…”

Oligo- and Polythiophene/ZnO Hybrid Nanowire Solar Cells

“…A multitude of concepts have been demonstrated by combining p-type donor polymers with n-type acceptor inorganic nanostructures such as CdSe, 6,7,11 TiO 2 , [8][9][10][12][13][14][15] and ZnO. [8][9][10]14 One-dimensional (1-D) inorganic semiconductor nanostructures are among some of the most attractive nanomaterials for solar cell devices because they provide a direct path for charge transport.…”

“…4,5 The organic/inorganic hybrid system [6][7][8][9] has opened new opportunities for the development of future generation solar cells, new device technologies, and a platform to study three-dimensional morphology. 10 A multitude of concepts have been demonstrated by combining p-type donor polymers with n-type acceptor inorganic nanostructures such as CdSe, 6,7,11 TiO 2 , [8][9][10][12][13][14][15] and ZnO. [8][9][10]14 One-dimensional (1-D) inorganic semiconductor nanostructures are among some of the most attractive nanomaterials for solar cell devices because they provide a direct path for charge transport.…”