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Polymer solar cells employing conjugated polyelectrolytes with different countercations

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Abstract

Conjugated polyelectrolytes based on benzotriazole (BT) and benzothiadiazole (BTz) alt unit with a pendant sulfonate ion but different countercations were synthesized and named PBTBTz-SO3Na and PBTBTz-SO3TBA. PBTBTz-SO3Na was used as a cathode interface applied to polymer solar cells (PSCs), and ITO/PEDOT:PSS/active layer/cathode interlayer/Al was set as a device structure. The PSCs displayed an average power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 7.7%, revealing an unchanged efficiency in comparison with that of the control device fabricated from a CH3OH interlayer. TBA+, a different counteraction, was used instead of Na+ to further study the influence of counterions on the electrical property of PBTBTz-SO3−. PBTBTz-SO3TBA was used as a cathode interface to fabricate two types of PSCs based on PTB7:PC71BM and PBDB-T:ITIC, and their improved average PCEs were 8.6% and 9.1%, respectively.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (51703045). The author would like to thank Hangzhou Dianzi University for the funding KYS205617011 to support this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Materials & Environmental Engineering, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Xiasha Higher Education Zone, Hangzhou, 310018, People’s Republic of China

    Yueqin Shi, Enxiang Yang, Jun Zhang & Zhenguo Ji

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  1. Yueqin Shi
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  2. Enxiang Yang
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  3. Jun Zhang
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Correspondence to Yueqin Shi.

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Shi, Y., Yang, E., Zhang, J. et al. Polymer solar cells employing conjugated polyelectrolytes with different countercations. Colloid Polym Sci 297, 1313–1319 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-019-04550-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-019-04550-1

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