Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Tin-doped ZnO electron transport layer to improve performance of P3HT-based organic solar cells

  • Original Paper: Sol-gel and hybrid materials for energy, environment and building applications
  • Published:
Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Zinc oxide (ZnO) electron transport layer (ETL) has been employed in inverted OSCs for highly efficient and stable devices. In this study, a Sn-doped ZnO layer was produced and employed in inverted OSCs based on the extensively used polymer, poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT). The performance of the reference device was enhanced from 1.01 to 3.45% by doping the ZnO layer with 3% Sn. The increased charge production, exciton dissociation, and better morphology, which led in an improved active layer/ETL interface, are the primaryleads to for the more than twofold PCE enhancement. Furthermore, after 3% Sn doping, the Voc of the reference device increased from 0.44 to 0.61 V due to a shift in the conduction band, which promotes charge transfer and minimizes energy loss in the device. The ETL’s conductivity was increased by 7%, resulting in a considerable increase in photocurrent from 5.66 to 10.69 mA/cm2. As a result, Sn doping may be a promising low-cost technique to improve inverted OSC performance.

Graphical Abstract

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
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

The data associated to this work is available based on reasonable request.

Code availability

The data associated to this work is available based on reasonable request.

References

  1. Liu Q et al. (2020) 18% efficiency organic solar cells. Sci Bull 65:272–275

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Zou Y et al. (2022) Peripheral halogenation engineering controls molecular stacking to enable highly efficient organic solar cells. Energy Environ Sci 15:3519–3533

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Small CE et al. (2012) High-efficiency inverted dithienogermole–thienopyrrolodione-based polymer solar cells. Nat Photonics 6:115–120

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Sakohara S, Ishida M, Anderson MA (1998) Visible luminescence and surface properties of nanosized zno colloids prepared by hydrolyzing zinc acetate. J Phys Chem B 102:10169–10175

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Guo L et al. (2000) Highly monodisperse polymer-capped zno nanoparticles: Preparation and optical properties. Appl Phys Lett 76:2901–2903

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Fan Q, Li D, Li J, Wang C (2020) Structure and piezoelectricity properties of v-doped zno thin films fabricated by sol-gel method. J Alloys Compd 829:154483

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Liu R et al. (2018) Sno2-rgo nanocomposite as an efficient electron transport layer for stable perovskite solar cells on azo substrate. Nanotechnology 30:075202

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Chen H-C, Lin S-W, Jiang J-M, Su Y-W, Wei K-H (2015) Solution-processed zinc oxide/polyethylenimine nanocomposites as tunable electron transport layers for highly efficient bulk heterojunction polymer solar cells. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 7:6273–6281

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Liu C, Zhang L, Xiao L, Peng X, Cao Y (2016) Doping zno with water/alcohol-soluble small molecules as electron transport layers for inverted polymer solar cells. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 8:28225–28230

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Yue M et al. (2019) Optimizing the performance of cspbi 3-based perovskite solar cells via doping a zno electron transport layer coupled with interface engineering. Nano-Micro Lett 11:1–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Mude NN, Yang HI, Thuy TT, Kwon JH (2023) Performance enhancement by sol-gel processed ni-doped zno layer in inp-based quantum dot light-emitting diodes. Org Electr 112:106696

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Swami SK et al. (2022) Spray deposited gallium doped zinc oxide (gzo) thin film as the electron transport layer in inverted organic solar cells. Solar Energy 231:458–463

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Swami SK et al. (2023) Spray-deposited aluminum-doped zinc oxide as an efficient electron transport layer for inverted organic solar cells. ACS Appl Energy Mater 6:2906–2913

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Zafar M, Kim B, Kim D-H (2020) Improvement in performance of inverted organic solar cell by rare earth element lanthanum doped zno electron buffer layer. Mater Chem Phys 240:122076

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Daouli A et al. (2022) Impact of sn doping on the hydrogen detection characteristics of zno thin films: Insights from experimental and dft combination. Appl Surface Sci 574:151585

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Homnan S et al. (2021) Low-temperature processable sn-doped zno films as electron transporting layers for perovskite solar cells. J Mater Sci: Mater Electr 32:27279–27289

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Wei J, Yin Z, Chen S-C, Zheng Q (2017) Low-temperature solution-processed zinc tin oxide film as a cathode interlayer for organic solar cells. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 9:6186–6193

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Ajili M, Castagné M, Turki NK (2013) Study on the doping effect of sn-doped zno thin films. Superlattices Microstruct 53:213–222

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Humayun Q, Kashif M, Hashim U (2013) Structural, optical, electrical, and photoresponse properties of postannealed sn-doped zno nanorods. J Nanomater 2013:160–160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Venkatesh N et al. (2021) Sunlight-driven enhanced photocatalytic activity of bandgap narrowing sn-doped zno nanoparticles. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28:16792–16803

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Wu C, Shen L, Yu H, Huang Q, Zhang YC (2011) Synthesis of sn-doped zno nanorods and their photocatalytic properties. Mater Res Bull 46:1107–1112

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Yung KC, Liem H, Choy H (2009) Enhanced redshift of the optical band gap in sn-doped zno free standing films using the sol–gel method. J Phys D: Appl Phys 42:185002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Nan C-W, Tschöpe A, Holten S, Kliem H, Birringer R (1999) Grain size-dependent electrical properties of nanocrystalline zno. J Appl Phys 85:7735–7740

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Bedia FZ et al. (2014) Effect of tin doping on optical properties of nanostructured zno thin films grown by spray pyrolysis technique. J Alloys Compd 616:312–318

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Bomila R, Srinivasan S, Venkatesan A, Bharath B, Perinbam K (2018) Structural, optical and antibacterial activity studies of ce-doped zno nanoparticles prepared by wet-chemical method. Mater Res Innov 22:379–386

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Kumar AS, Huang N, Nagaraja H (2014) Influence of sn doping on photoluminescence and photoelectrochemical properties of zno nanorod arrays. Electr Mater Lett 10:753–758

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Nair MG, Nirmala M, Rekha K, Anukaliani A (2011) Structural, optical, photo catalytic and antibacterial activity of zno and co doped zno nanoparticles. Mater Lett 65:1797–1800

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Ilican S, Caglar M, Caglar Y (2010) Sn doping effects on the electro-optical properties of sol gel derived transparent zno films. Appl Surf Sci 256:7204–7210

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Fan X, Fang G, Qin P, Cheng F, Zhao X (2011) Rapid phase segregation of p3ht: Pcbm composites by thermal annealing for high-performance bulk-heterojunction solar cells. Appl Phys A 105:1003–1009

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Tsai J-H et al. (2010) Enhancement of p3ht/pcbm photovoltaic efficiency using the surfactant of triblock copolymer containing poly (3-hexylthiophene) and poly (4-vinyltriphenylamine) segments. Macromolecules 43:6085–6091

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Song X et al. (2021) Manipulation of zinc oxide with zirconium doping for efficient inverted organic solar cells. Small 17:2006387

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Dlamini, W. M. Plasmon as a mechanism to improve performance of bulk-heterojunction organic solar cells. Ph.D. thesis (2022).

  33. Thaver Y, Oseni SO, Mola GT (2021) Silver doped nickel oxide nanocomposite and photon harvesting enhancement in bulkheterojunction organic solar cell. Solar Energy 214:11–18

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Manabeng M, Mwankemwa BS, Ocaya RO, Motaung TE, Malevu TD (2022) A review of the impact of zinc oxide nanostructure morphology on perovskite solar cell performance. Processes 10:1803

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

NT and NG would like to thank Carnegie Cooperation of New York for financing part of this project through the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA). We would like to acknowledge Adama Science and Technology institute for their synthesis and XRD facility. We also acknowledge Mrs Jane Dai for taking the AFM and SEM images. International Science Program (ISP) from Uppsala University, Sweden is acknowledged for providing the laboratory facility in Polymer Physics Lab of Department of Physics at Addis Ababa University.

Author contributions

BA and AW; preparation of the devices, characterization and data analysis and first draft writing. NG Editing the final manuscript. NT and TD: Conceptualization, supervision and editing and preparation of the final draft.

Author information

Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Biruk Alebachew, Alemayehu G. Waketola

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Adama Science and Technology University, Adama, 1888, Ethiopia

    Biruk Alebachew & Temesgen D. Desissa

  2. Department of Physics, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, 1174, Ethiopia

    Alemayehu G. Waketola & Newayemedhin A. Tegegne

  3. Department of Chemical Engineering, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, 7604, South Africa

    Neill J. Goosen & Newayemedhin A. Tegegne

Authors
  1. Biruk Alebachew
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Alemayehu G. Waketola
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Neill J. Goosen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Temesgen D. Desissa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Newayemedhin A. Tegegne
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Temesgen D. Desissa or Newayemedhin A. Tegegne.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethical approval

No animal was involved in the study.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Alebachew, B., Waketola, A.G., Goosen, N.J. et al. Tin-doped ZnO electron transport layer to improve performance of P3HT-based organic solar cells. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 108, 149–158 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-023-06179-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-023-06179-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation