Design of a block copolymer solar cell

Sun, Sam-Shajing

doi:10.1016/s0927-0248(03)00104-1

Cited by 100 publications

(82 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…The parameters of molecular design and 3-dimensional effects on exciton-collection and charge percolation to the electrodes have been extensively discussed by Sun 167 in terms of the still low efficiencies for such devices with respect to the BHJ-based devices being fabricated. While some of these effects could be blamed on mismatches in bands, the essential differences arose from the researchers being obliged to concentrate on ''simply'' demonstrating that block copolymers could work, rather than choosing materials that might optimize their operation.…”

Section: As Single and Multicomponent Layersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sun's work, 167 gave an excellent resume of the importance of combining polymers with band-gaps of sizes appropriate to solar radiation, the options that the various lamellae, hexagonal and gyroid structures made available through the use of block copolymers, and the importance of the linking group which covalently joined to the two blocks together. This is, in effect, the first paper that laid out a full discussion of the many diverse parameters that must be considered when using block copolymers in OPVs.…”

Section: As Single and Multicomponent Layersmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Block copolymer strategies for solar cell technology

Topham¹,

Parnell²,

Hiorns³

2011

J Polym Sci B Polym Phys

184

167

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A simple overview of the methods used and the expected benefits of block copolymers in organic photovoltaic devices is given in this review. The description of the photovoltaic process makes it clear how the detailed self-assembly properties of block copolymers can be exploited. Organic photovoltaic technology, an inexpensive, clean and renewable energy source, is an extremely promising option for replacing fossil fuels. It is expected to deliver printable devices processed on flexible substrates using high-volume techniques. Such devices, however, currently lack the long-term stability and efficiency to allow organic photovoltaics to surpass current technologies. Block copolymers are envisaged to help overcome these obstacles because of their long term structural stability and their solid-state morphology being of the appropriate dimensions to efficiently perform charge collection and transfer to electrodes.

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Section: As Single and Multicomponent Layersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: As Single and Multicomponent Layersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Block copolymer strategies for solar cell technology

Topham¹,

Parnell²,

Hiorns³

2011

J Polym Sci B Polym Phys

184

167

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Sun has suggested the use of a flexible non-conjugated bridge unit in order to overcome this problem. 31 However, our emphasis here is on the usefulness of bicontinuous structures in general (of which the three examined here are merely examples), due to the recent development in interest in them, and should a means of creating them be developed in the near future. All three share the essential traits of island-free continuous charge transport pathways with a high interfacial area, which should provide a clear performance improvement on existing disordered blend structures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bicontinuous minimal surface nanostructures for polymer blend solar cells

Kimber

Walker

Schröder‐Turk

et al. 2010

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys.

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This paper presents the first examination of the potential for bicontinuous structures such as the gyroid structure to produce high efficiency solar cells based on conjugated polymers. The solar cell characteristics are predicted by a simulation model that shows how the morphology influences device performance through integration of all the processes occurring in organic photocells in a specified morphology. In bicontinuous phases, the surface defining the interface between the electron and hole transporting phases divides the volume into two disjoint subvolumes. Exciton loss is reduced because the interface at which charge separation occurs permeates the device so excitons have only a short distance to reach the interface. As each of the component phases is connected, charges will be able to reach the electrodes more easily. In simulations of the current-voltage characteristics of organic cells with gyroid, disordered blend and vertical rod (rods normal to the electrodes) morphologies, we find that gyroids have a lower than anticipated performance advantage over disordered blends, and that vertical rods are superior. These results are explored thoroughly, with geminate recombination, i.e. recombination of charges originating from the same exciton, identified as the primary source of loss. Thus, if an appropriate materials choice could reduce geminate recombination, gyroids show great promise for future research and applications.

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“…More recently, new block copolymers have surfaced bearing mesogenic units or rigid blocks, which confer to these systems a liquid crystalline behaviour [1][2][3][4]. Not only these systems are interesting from a fundamental and theoretical point of view, but they have also a high value and potential in applications such as optoelectronics, photovoltaics [5][6][7][8][9][10][11], bioapplications [12], sensoring, etc. The mechanisms leading to equilibrium microseparated phases in flexible coilcoil diblock copolymers, which can be either spherical, hexagonal, bicontinuous gyroid or lamellar, are well understood [13][14][15] and the equilibrium microseparated phases can be explained, in principle, by using only two independent parameters: the volume ratio of each block and the segregation parameter expressed as the Flory-Huggins interaction parameter times the degree of polymerization a e-mail: raffaele.mezzenga@unifr.ch (χN ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-assembly of rod-coil block copolymers from weakly to moderately segregated regimes

Sary

Brochon²,

Hadziioannou³

et al. 2007

Eur. Phys. J. E

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Abstract. We report on the self-assembly behaviour of two homologue series of rod-coil block copolymers in which, the rod, a π-conjugated polymer, is maintained fixed in size and chemical structure, while the coil is allowed to vary both in molecular weight and chemical nature. This allows maintaining constant the liquid crystalline interactions, expressed by Maier-Saupe interactions, ω, while varying the tendency towards microphase separation, expressed by the product between the Flory-Huggins parameter and the total polymerization degree, χN . Therefore, the systems presented here allow testing directly some of the theoretical predictions for the self-assembly of rod-coil block copolymers in a weakly segregated regime. The two rod-coil block copolymer systems investigated were poly(DEH-p-phenylenevinylene-b-styrene), whose self-assembly takes place in the very weakly segregated regime, and poly(DEH-p-phenylenevinylene-b4vinylpyridine), for which the self-assembly behaviour occurs under increased tendency towards microphase separation, hereby referred to as moderately segregated regime. Experimental results for both systems are compared with predictions based on Landau expansion theories.PACS. 61.46.-w Nanoscale materials -61.30.Vx Polymer liquid crystals -64.60.Cn Order-disorder transformations; statistical mechanics of model systems

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Design of a block copolymer solar cell

Cited by 100 publications

References 28 publications

Block copolymer strategies for solar cell technology

Block copolymer strategies for solar cell technology

Bicontinuous minimal surface nanostructures for polymer blend solar cells

Self-assembly of rod-coil block copolymers from weakly to moderately segregated regimes

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