Formation of nanopatterned polymer blends in photovoltaic devices

Nano Lett. 2010 Apr 14;10(4):1302-7. doi: 10.1021/nl904098m.

Abstract

In this paper, we demonstrate a double nanoimprinting process that allows the formation of nanostructured polymer heterojunctions of composition and morphology that can be selected independently. We fabricated photovoltaic (PV) devices with extremely high densities (10(14)/mm(2)) of interpenetrating nanoscale columnar features in the active polymer blend layer. The smallest feature sizes are as small as 25 nm on a 50 nm pitch, which results in a spacing of heterojunctions at or below the exciton diffusion length. Photovoltaic devices based on double-imprinted poly((9,9-dioctylfluorene)-2,7-diyl-alt-[4,7-bis(3-hexylthien-5-yl)-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole]-2',2''-diyl) (F8TBT)/ poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) films are among the best polymer-polymer blend devices reported to date with a power conversion efficiency (PCE, eta(e)) of 1.9%.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Benzothiazoles / chemistry*
  • Electric Power Supplies*
  • Electrochemistry
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Nanotechnology / instrumentation
  • Nanotechnology / methods*
  • Particle Size
  • Photochemistry
  • Polymers / chemistry*
  • Surface Properties
  • Thiophenes / chemistry*

Substances

  • Benzothiazoles
  • Polymers
  • Thiophenes
  • poly((9,9-dioctylfluorene)-2,7-diyl-alt-(4,7-bis(3-hexylthien-5-yl)-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)-2',2''-diyl)
  • poly(3-hexylthiophene)