Well‐functioned photovoltaics based on nanofibers composed of PBDT‐TIPS‐DTNT‐DT and graphenic precursors thermally modified by polythiophene, polyaniline and polypyrrole

Abstract

Reduced graphene oxide nanosheets modified by conductive polymers including polythiophene (GPTh), polyaniline (GPANI) and polypyrrole (GPPy) were prepared using the graphene oxide as both substrate and chemical oxidant. UV-visible and Raman analyses confirmed that the graphene oxide simultaneously produced the reduced graphene oxide and polymerized the conjugated polymers. The prepared nanostructures were subsequently electrospun in mixing with poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)/phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC 71 BM) and poly[bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) benzodithiophene-bis(decyltetradecylthien)naphthobisthiadiazole] (PBDT-TIPS-DTNT-DT)/PC71 BM components and embedded in the active layers of photovoltaic devices to improve the charge mobility and efficiency. The GPTh/PBDT-TIPS-DTNT-DT/PC 71 BM devices demonstrated better photovoltaic features (J sc = 11.72 mA cm −2 , FF = 61%, V oc = 0.68 V, PCE = 4.86%, h = 8.7 × 10 −3 cm 2 V -1 s −1 and e = 1.3 × 10 −2 cm 2 V -1 s −1 ) than the GPPy/PBDT-TIPS-DTNT-DT/PC 71 BM (J sc = 10.30 mA cm −2 , FF = 60%, V oc = 0.66 V, PCE = 4.08%, h = 1.4 × 10 −3 cm 2 V -1 s −1 and e = 8.9 × 10 −3 cm 2 V -1 s −1 ) and GPANI/PBDT-TIPS-DTNT-DT/PC 71 BM (J sc = 10.48 mA cm −2 , FF = 59%, V oc = 0.65 V, PCE = 4.02%, h = 8.6 × 10 −4 cm 2 V -1 s −1 and e = 7.8 × 10 −3 cm 2 V -1 s −1 ) systems, assigned to the greater compatibility of PTh in the nano-hybrids and the thiophenic conjugated polymers in the bulk of the nanofibers and active thin films. Furthermore, the PBDT-TIPS-DTNT-DT polymer chains (3.35%-5.04%) acted better than the P3HT chains (2.01%-3.76%) because of more complicated conductive structures.

Conjugated Polymer/Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites—State-of-the-Art

“…The PTh/GO nanocomposites have been used for the anti-rusting coatings [142]. Further investigations on the anti-corrosion and electrical conductivity properties of the conjugated polymers and graphene oxide based nanocomposites may expand this field for future advancements in this field [143].…”