The influence of polymer purification on the efficiency of poly(3-hexylthiophene):fullerene organic solar cells

James H. Bannock; Neil D. Treat; Michael Chabinyc; Natalie Stingelin; Martin Heeney; John C. De Mello

doi:10.1038/srep23651

The influence of polymer purification on the efficiency of poly(3-hexylthiophene):fullerene organic solar cells

James H. Bannock, Neil D. Treat, Michael Chabinyc, Natalie Stingelin, Martin Heeney, John C. De Mello

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

39 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report the influence of different polymer purification procedures on the photovoltaic performance of bulk heterojunction solar cells formed from binary blends of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and fullerenes. Selective Soxhlet extractions and metal scavenging agents were used to remove residual monomer, magnesium salt by-products and catalyst from high-weight P3HT (Mw 121 kg/mol, PDI 1.8, RR 99%) synthesised by the Grignard metathesis (GRIM) polymerization route. Using phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC 60 BM) as an electron acceptor, we observed an increase in average power conversion efficiency from 2.3 to 4.8% in going from crude to fully purified material. Using indene-C 60 bisadduct (IC 60 BA) in place of PC 60 BM, we observed a further increase to an average value of 6.6%-high for a bulk heterojunction formed from a binary blend of P3HT and C 60 fullerene derivatives.

Original language	English (US)
Journal	Scientific Reports
Volume	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/srep23651
State	Published - Mar 31 2016
Externally published	Yes

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title = "The influence of polymer purification on the efficiency of poly(3-hexylthiophene):fullerene organic solar cells",

abstract = "We report the influence of different polymer purification procedures on the photovoltaic performance of bulk heterojunction solar cells formed from binary blends of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and fullerenes. Selective Soxhlet extractions and metal scavenging agents were used to remove residual monomer, magnesium salt by-products and catalyst from high-weight P3HT (Mw 121 kg/mol, PDI 1.8, RR 99%) synthesised by the Grignard metathesis (GRIM) polymerization route. Using phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC 60 BM) as an electron acceptor, we observed an increase in average power conversion efficiency from 2.3 to 4.8% in going from crude to fully purified material. Using indene-C 60 bisadduct (IC 60 BA) in place of PC 60 BM, we observed a further increase to an average value of 6.6%-high for a bulk heterojunction formed from a binary blend of P3HT and C 60 fullerene derivatives.",

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AU - Bannock, James H.

AU - Treat, Neil D.

AU - Chabinyc, Michael

AU - Stingelin, Natalie

AU - Heeney, Martin

AU - De Mello, John C.

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PY - 2016/3/31

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N2 - We report the influence of different polymer purification procedures on the photovoltaic performance of bulk heterojunction solar cells formed from binary blends of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and fullerenes. Selective Soxhlet extractions and metal scavenging agents were used to remove residual monomer, magnesium salt by-products and catalyst from high-weight P3HT (Mw 121 kg/mol, PDI 1.8, RR 99%) synthesised by the Grignard metathesis (GRIM) polymerization route. Using phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC 60 BM) as an electron acceptor, we observed an increase in average power conversion efficiency from 2.3 to 4.8% in going from crude to fully purified material. Using indene-C 60 bisadduct (IC 60 BA) in place of PC 60 BM, we observed a further increase to an average value of 6.6%-high for a bulk heterojunction formed from a binary blend of P3HT and C 60 fullerene derivatives.

AB - We report the influence of different polymer purification procedures on the photovoltaic performance of bulk heterojunction solar cells formed from binary blends of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and fullerenes. Selective Soxhlet extractions and metal scavenging agents were used to remove residual monomer, magnesium salt by-products and catalyst from high-weight P3HT (Mw 121 kg/mol, PDI 1.8, RR 99%) synthesised by the Grignard metathesis (GRIM) polymerization route. Using phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC 60 BM) as an electron acceptor, we observed an increase in average power conversion efficiency from 2.3 to 4.8% in going from crude to fully purified material. Using indene-C 60 bisadduct (IC 60 BA) in place of PC 60 BM, we observed a further increase to an average value of 6.6%-high for a bulk heterojunction formed from a binary blend of P3HT and C 60 fullerene derivatives.

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JO - Scientific Reports

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The influence of polymer purification on the efficiency of poly(3-hexylthiophene):fullerene organic solar cells

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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