Incomplete exciton harvesting from fullerenes in bulk heterojunction solar cells

George F Burkhard; Eric T Hoke; Shawn R Scully; Michael D McGehee

doi:10.1021/nl902205n

Incomplete exciton harvesting from fullerenes in bulk heterojunction solar cells

Nano Lett. 2009 Dec;9(12):4037-41. doi: 10.1021/nl902205n.

Authors

George F Burkhard¹, Eric T Hoke, Shawn R Scully, Michael D McGehee

Affiliation

¹ Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.

PMID: 19810728
DOI: 10.1021/nl902205n

Abstract

We investigate the internal quantum efficiencies (IQEs) of high efficiency poly-3-hexylthiophene:[6,6]-phenyl-C(61)-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM) solar cells and find them to be lower at wavelengths where the PCBM absorbs. Because the exciton diffusion length in PCBM is too small, excitons generated in PCBM decay before reaching the donor-acceptor interface. This result has implications for most state of the art organic solar cells, since all of the most efficient devices use fullerenes as electron acceptors.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Electric Power Supplies*
Equipment Design
Equipment Failure Analysis
Fullerenes / chemistry*
Fullerenes / radiation effects
Light
Organoselenium Compounds / chemistry*
Organoselenium Compounds / radiation effects
Solar Energy*

Substances

(6,6)-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester
Fullerenes
Organoselenium Compounds
poly(3-hexyl)selenophene