Fully solution-processing route toward highly transparent polymer solar cells

Fei Guo*, Peter Kubis, Tobias Stubhan, Ning Li, Derya Baran, Thomas Przybilla, Erdmann Spiecker, Karen Forberich, Christoph J. Brabec

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

75 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report highly transparent polymer solar cells using metallic silver nanowires (AgNWs) as both the electron- and hole-collecting electrodes. The entire stack of the devices is processed from solution using a doctor blading technique. A thin layer of zinc oxide nanoparticles is introduced between photoactive layer and top AgNW electrode which plays decisive roles in device functionality: it serves as a mechanical foundation which allows the solution-deposition of top AgNWs, and more importantly it facilitates charge carriers extraction due to the better energy level alignment and the formation of ohmic contacts between the active layer/ZnO and ZnO/AgNWs. The resulting semitransparent polymer:fullerene solar cells showed a power conversion efficiency of 2.9%, which is 72% of the efficiency of an opaque reference device. Moreover, an average transmittance of 41% in the wavelength range of 400-800 nm is achieved, which is of particular interest for applications in transparent architectures.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)18251-18257
Number of pages7
JournalACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
Volume6
Issue number20
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 22 2014
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • ITO-free
  • OPV
  • fully solution-processing
  • semitransparent polymer solar cells

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Materials Science

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