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Semi-transparent polymer solar cells with all-copper nanowire electrodes

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Abstract

Transparent electrodes based on copper nanowires (Cu NWs) have attracted significant attention owing to their advantages including high optical transmittance, good conductivity, and excellent mechanical flexibility. However, low-cost, high-performance, and environmental friendly solar cells with all-Cu NW electrodes have not been realized until now. Herein, top and bottom transparent electrodes based on Cu NWs with low surface roughness and homogeneous conductivity are fabricated. Then, semi-transparent polymer solar cells (PSCs) with the inverted structure of polyacrylate/Cu NWs/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) (PH1000)/Y-TiO2/poly(3-hexylthiophene):[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid 3,4,5-tris(octyloxy)benzyl/PEDOT:PSS (4083)/Cu NWs/polyimide/polydimethylsiloxane are constructed; these could absorb light from both sides with a power conversion efficiency reaching 1.97% and 1.85%. Furthermore, the PSCs show an average transmittance of 42% in the visible region, which renders them suitable for some specialized applications such as power-generating windows and building-integrated photovoltaics. The indium tin oxide (ITO)- and noble metal-free PSCs could pave new pathways for fabricating cost-effective semi-transparent PSCs.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 61301036), Shanghai Science and Technology Rising Star Project (No. 17QA1404700), Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS (No. 2014226), Shanghai Key Basic Research Project (No. 16JC1402300), and the Major State Research Development Program of China (No. 2016YFA0203000).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. the State Key Lab of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructure, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, China

    Haitao Zhai, Xiao Wang, Liangjing Shi, Ranran Wang & Jing Sun

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Haitao Zhai & Xiao Wang

  3. Suzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, China

    Yang Li & Liwei Chen

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  1. Haitao Zhai
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  2. Yang Li
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  3. Liwei Chen
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  4. Xiao Wang
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  5. Liangjing Shi
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  6. Ranran Wang
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  7. Jing Sun
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Correspondence to Ranran Wang or Jing Sun.

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Zhai, H., Li, Y., Chen, L. et al. Semi-transparent polymer solar cells with all-copper nanowire electrodes. Nano Res. 11, 1956–1966 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-017-1812-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-017-1812-z

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