Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Spectroscopic study of P3HT:PCBM deposited by electrospray deposition

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Polymer Bulletin Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We investigated a molecular order of poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl):[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester thin film by judging from the Raman spectrum, and a crystallinity parameter was estimated as the molecular order of poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl). The crystallinity parameter of spin-coated sample increased with increasing annealing temperature, and this result relates to the photoconversion efficiency of photovoltaic cell. This means that the high photoconversion efficiency can be obtained due to the high crystallinity parameter of poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl), and this result is reasonable compared to the previous researches. In addition, the crystallinity parameter of electrosprayed thin film increased with increasing applied voltage, corresponding to the supply speed of solution. Since the droplet size increased with increasing supply speed, the evaporation speed of solvent (o-dichlorobenzene) became slow at the high applied voltage. Therefore, the slow evaporation speed of solvent caused the molecular order in the active layer. As a result, the maximum of approximately of 95 % was achieved even though the sample was not thermally annealed, and this value corresponds to the thermal annealing at 100 °C.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Etxebarria I, Ajuria J, Pacios R (2015) Solution-processable polymeric solar cells: a review on materials, strategies and cell architectures to overcome 10 %. Org Electron 19:34–60

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Vohra V, Kawashima K, Kakara T, Koganezawa T, Osaka I, Takimiya K, Murata H (2015) Efficient inverted polymer solar cells employing favourable molecular orientation. Nat Photonics 9:403–408

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Kim J-S, Chung W-S, Kim K, Kim DY, Paeng K-J, Jo SM, Jang S-Y (2010) performance optimization of polymer solar cells using electrostatically sprayed photoactive layers. Adv Funct Mater 20:3538–3546

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Zhao X-Y, Yang W, Li C, Wang X, Lim SL, Qi D, Wang R, Gao Z-Q, Mi B-X, Chen Z-K, Huang W (2015) Effect of Danköler number of evaporation on the morphology of active layer and the performance of organic heterojunction solar cells fabricated by electrospray method. Sol Energy Mater Sol Cells 134:140–147

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Ali M, Abbas M, Shah SK, Tuerhong R, Generosi A, Paci B, Hirsch L, Gunnella R (2012) Realization of solution processed multi-layer bulk heterojunction organic solar cells by electro-spray deposition. Org Electron 13:2130–2137

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Koishikawa Y, Miyazaki H, Yahiro M, Adachi C (2013) Multi-layered organic light-emitting diode fabrication using low molecular weight materials by electrospray method. Thin Solid Films 545:527–532

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Ju J, Yamagata Y, Higuchi T (2009) Thin-film fabrication method for organic light-emitting diodes using electrospray deposition. Adv Mater 21:4343–4347

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Pitsalidis C, Pappa A-M, Hunter S, Payne MM, Anthony JE, Anthopoulos TD, Logothetidis S (2015) Electrospray-processed soluble acenes toward the realization of high-performance field-effect transistors. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 7:6496–6504

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Yamauchi H, Sakai M, Kuniyoshi S, Kudo K (2014) Fabrication of n- and p-channel step-edge vertical-channel transistors by electrospray deposition. Jpn J Appl Phys 53:01AB16–01AB17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Ali M, Abbas M, Shah SK, Bontempi E, Colombi P, Cicco AD, Gunnella R (2011) Variability of physical characteristics of electro-sprayed poly(3-hexylthiophene) thin films. J Appl Phys 110:054515-1–054515-9

    Google Scholar 

  11. Liao Y, Fukuda T, Kamata N (2014) Effect of solvent evaporation on the self-assembly of poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) and on the film morphology during electrospray deposition. Phys Status Sol Rap Res Lett 8:154–157

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Tsoi WC, James DT, Kim JS, Nicholson PG, Murphradley DDC, Nelson J, Kim J-S (2011) The nature of in-plane skeleton Raman modes of P3HT and their correlation to the degree of molecular order in P3HT:PCBM blend thin films. J Am Chem Soc 133:9834–9843

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Liao Y, Fukuda T, Takagi K, Kamata N, Fukuda F, Furukawa Y (2014) High crystallinity parameter poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) thin film fabricated by electrospray deposition method. Thin Solid Films 554:132–136

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Fukuda T, Takagi K, Asano T, Honda Z, Kamata N, Shirai H, Ju J, Yamagata Y, Tajima Y (2012) Improved power conversion efficiency of organic photovoltaic cell fabricated by electrospray deposition method by mixing different solvents. Jpn J Appl Phys 51:02BK12-1–02BK12-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Burgués-Ceballos I, Campoy-Quiles M, Francesch L (2012) Fast annealing and patterning of polymer solar cells by means of vapor printing. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 50:1245–1252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Razzell-Hollis J, Tsoi WC, Kim J-S (2013) Directly probing the molecular order of conjugated polymer in OPV blends induced by different film thicknesses, substrates and additives. J Mater Chem C 1:6235–6243

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support by the JSPS KAKENHI Project (No. 26420267).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Functional Materials Science, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-Okubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama, 338-8570, Japan

    Asuki Toda, Kazuya Takahira, Katsumi Suzuki, Takeshi Fukuda, Miru Hirahara, Norihiko Kamata & Zentaro Honda

Authors
  1. Asuki Toda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kazuya Takahira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Katsumi Suzuki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Takeshi Fukuda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Miru Hirahara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Norihiko Kamata
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Zentaro Honda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Takeshi Fukuda.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Toda, A., Takahira, K., Suzuki, K. et al. Spectroscopic study of P3HT:PCBM deposited by electrospray deposition. Polym. Bull. 73, 2457–2462 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-016-1673-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-016-1673-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation