Influence of Weak Base Addition to Hole-Collecting Buffer Layers in Polymer:Fullerene Solar Cells

Jooyeok Seo; Soohyeong Park; Myeonghun Song; Jaehoon Jeong; Chulyeon Lee; Hwajeong Kim; Youngkyoo Kim

doi:10.3390/molecules22020262

Molecules (Feb 2017)

Influence of Weak Base Addition to Hole-Collecting Buffer Layers in Polymer:Fullerene Solar Cells

Jooyeok Seo,
Soohyeong Park,
Myeonghun Song,
Jaehoon Jeong,
Chulyeon Lee,
Hwajeong Kim,
Youngkyoo Kim

Affiliations

Jooyeok Seo: Organic Nanoelectronics Laboratory and KNU Institute for Nanophotonics Applications (KINPA), Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Applied Chemical Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea
Soohyeong Park: Advanced Composites Materials Technical Center, Toray Advanced Materials Korea, Gumi-Si, Gyeongbook 39422, Korea
Myeonghun Song: Organic Nanoelectronics Laboratory and KNU Institute for Nanophotonics Applications (KINPA), Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Applied Chemical Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea
Jaehoon Jeong: Organic Nanoelectronics Laboratory and KNU Institute for Nanophotonics Applications (KINPA), Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Applied Chemical Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea
Chulyeon Lee: Organic Nanoelectronics Laboratory and KNU Institute for Nanophotonics Applications (KINPA), Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Applied Chemical Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea
Hwajeong Kim: Organic Nanoelectronics Laboratory and KNU Institute for Nanophotonics Applications (KINPA), Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Applied Chemical Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea
Youngkyoo Kim: Organic Nanoelectronics Laboratory and KNU Institute for Nanophotonics Applications (KINPA), Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Applied Chemical Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules22020262
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 22, no. 2
p. 262

Abstract

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We report the effect of weak base addition to acidic polymer hole-collecting layers in normal-type polymer:fullerene solar cells. Varying amounts of the weak base aniline (AN) were added to solutions of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). The acidity of the aniline-added PEDOT:PSS solutions gradually decreased from pH = 1.74 (AN = 0 mol% ) to pH = 4.24 (AN = 1.8 mol %). The electrical conductivity of the PEDOT:PSS-AN films did not change much with the pH value, while the ratio of conductivity between out-of-plane and in-plane directions was dependent on the pH of solutions. The highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) was obtained at pH = 2.52, even though all devices with the PEDOT:PSS-AN layers exhibited better PCE than those with the pristine PEDOT:PSS layers. Atomic force microscopy investigation revealed that the size of PEDOT:PSS domains became smaller as the pH increased. The stability test for 100 h illumination under one sun condition disclosed that the PCE decay was relatively slower for the devices with the PEDOT:PSS-AN layers than for those with pristine PEDOT:PSS layers.

Published in Molecules

ISSN: 1420-3049 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Chemistry: Organic chemistry
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules

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