ZKC

Highly efficient and bendable organic solar cells (OSCs) are fabricated using solution-processed silver nanowire (Ag NW) electrodes. The Ag NW films were highly transparent (diffusive transmittance ≈ 95% at a wavelength of 550 nm), highly conductive (sheet resistance ≈ 10 Ω sq⁻¹), and highly flexible (change in resistance ≈ 1.1 ± 1% at a bending radius of ≈200 μm). Power conversion efficiencies of ≈5.80 and 5.02% were obtained for devices fabricated on Ag NWs/glass and Ag NWs/poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), respectively. Moreover, the bendable devices fabricated using the Ag NWs/PET films decrease slightly in their efficiency (to ≈96% of the initial value) even after the devices had been bent 1000 times with a radius of ≈1.5 mm.

Highly bendable and efficient organic solar cells are developed using solution-processed silver nanowires. The electrode and solar cell characterizations are also presented with the devices showing high performance and flexibility.

Optical effects of the plasmonic structures and the materials effects of the metal nanomaterials have recently been individually studied for enhancing performance of organic solar cells (OSCs). Here, the effects of plasmonically induced carrier generation and enhanced carrier extraction of the carrier transport layer (i.e., plasmonic-electrical effects) in OSCs are investigated. Enhanced charge extraction in TiO₂ as a highly efficient electron transport layer by the incorporation of metal nanoparticles (NPs) is proposed and demonstrated. Efficient device performance is demonstrated by using Au NPs incorporated TiO₂ at a plasmonic wavelength (560–600 nm), which is far longer than the originally necessary UV light. By optimizing the concentration ratio of the Au NPs in the NP-TiO₂ composite, the performances of OSCs with various polymer active layers are enhanced and efficiency of 8.74% is reached. An integrated optical and electrical model, which takes into account plasmonic-induced hot carrier tunneling probability and extraction barrier between TiO₂ and the active layer, is introduced. The enhanced charge extraction under plasmonic illumination is attributed to the strong charge injection of plasmonically excited electrons from NPs into TiO₂. The mechanism favors trap filling in TiO₂, which can lower the effective energy barrier and facilitate carrier transport in OSCs.

Plasmonic-induced carrier extraction enhancements (plasmonic-electrical effects) in organic solar cells (OSCs) are investigated. Using a nanoparticle (NP)-TiO₂ composite, an enhanced efficiency of 8.74% is reached. The device can efficiently operate at plasmonic wavelengths far longer than the original UV region. The enhancement is attributed to the plasmonic-induced charge injection process. This mechanism favors trap filling in TiO₂, which facilitates carrier transport in OSCs.

A water-soluble conjugated polymer (WCP) poly[(3,4-dibromo-2,5-thienylene vinylene)-co-(p-phenylene-vinylene)] (PBTPV), containing thiophene rings with high charge-carrier mobility and benzene rings with excellent solubility is designed and prepared through Wessling polymerization. The PBTPV precursor can be easily processed by employing water or alcohols as the solvents, which are clean, environmentally friendly, and non-toxic compared with the highly toxic organic solvents such as chloroform and chlorobenzene. As a novel photoelectric material, PBTPV presents excellent hole-transport properties with a carrier mobility of 5 × 10⁻⁴ cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ measured in an organic field-effect transistor device. By integrating PBTPV with aqueous CdTe nanocrystals (NCs) to produce the active layer of water-processed hybrid solar cells, the devices exhibit effective power conversion efficiency up to 3.3%. Moreover, the PBTPV can form strong coordination interactions with the CdTe NCs through the S atoms on the thiophene rings, and effective coordination with other nanoparticles can be reasonably expected.

A new type of water-soluble conjugated polymer composed of poly[(3,4-dibromo-2,5-thienylene vinylene)-co-(p-phenylene-vinylene)] (PBTPV) is synthesized. Its excellent film-forming properties, stability, and photoelectric response show good potential for organic field-effect transistor and aqueous-processable hybrid solar cell applications. The carrier mobility of the aqueous PBTPV is about 5 × 10⁻⁴ cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ and the power conversion efficiency of the water-processed PBTPV/CdTe nanocrystal hybrid photovoltaic devices reaches 3.3%.