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Improving the performance of organic solar cells using an electron transport layer of B4PyMPM self-assembled nanostructures

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Abstract

The electron transport (ETL) layer improves power conversion efficiency (PCE) in organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs) through the incorporation of the cathode interfacial layers. Here, we introduce [bis-4,6-(3,5-di-4-pyridylphenyl)-2-methylpyrimidine] (B4PyMPM) as an n-type buffer layer consisting of a self-organized layer with a horizontal configuration in bulk heterojunction OPVs. It is demonstrated that self-organization of this B4PyMPM compound in which molecules adopt a horizontal orientation parallel to the organic semiconducting substrate induces a large local interfacial electric field that results in a significant enhancement of exciton dissociation. The device using B4PyMPM as an ETL layers has a significantly high open circuit voltage (V oc = 0.64 V), good short circuit current (J sc = 8.24 mA/cm2), good fill factor (FF = 0.65) and good PCE (3.42%). The physical properties of the device have also been studied from the measurements of impedance spectroscopy and photocurrent, which directly show the mechanisms occurring inside OPVs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Sogang University, Seoul, 121-742, Korea

    Chan-Hyuk Ji, Il-Soo Oh & Se-Young Oh

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  1. Chan-Hyuk Ji
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  2. Il-Soo Oh
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Correspondence to Se-Young Oh.

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Ji, CH., Oh, IS. & Oh, SY. Improving the performance of organic solar cells using an electron transport layer of B4PyMPM self-assembled nanostructures. Electron. Mater. Lett. 11, 795–800 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13391-015-4503-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13391-015-4503-5

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