The effect of confinement on the crystalline microstructure of polymer: fullerene bulk heterojunctions

Ashraf, A.; Dissanayake, D. M.  N.  M.; Eisaman, M. D.

doi:10.1039/C5CP03399C

The effect of confinement on the crystalline microstructure of polymer: fullerene bulk heterojunctions

Journal Article · Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/C5CP03399C· OSTI ID:1240586

Ashraf, A. ^[1]; Dissanayake, D. M. N. M. ^[2]; Eisaman, M. D. ^[3]

Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Sustainable Energy Technologies Department; Stony Brook Univ., NY (United States). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Sustainable Energy Technologies Department
Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Sustainable Energy Technologies Department; Stony Brook Univ., NY (United States). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy; Stony Brook Univ., NY (United States). Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

We investigate the effect of confinement on the coherence length and the crystalline microstructure of the polymer component of polymer: fullerene bulk heterojunction thin films using grazing incidence wide angle x-ray scattering. We find that the polymer crystallite size decreases and the alignment of the molecules along the surface normal increases, as the thin-film thickness is reduced from 920nm to < 20nm and approaches the thin-film confinement regime. Furthermore, we find that the polymer crystallite size near the surface (air interface) is lower than the crystallite size in the bulk or the bottom (substrate interface) of bulk heterojunction films thicker than the confinement regime. Variation in polymer crystallite size can cause changes in charge carrier mobility and recombination rates, which in turn affect the performance of bulk heterojunction thin film devices such as photovoltaics and photodetectors

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-98CH10886

OSTI ID:: 1240586

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1229448

Report Number(s):: BNL--108205-2015-JA; YN0100000

Journal Information:: Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP, Journal Name: Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP Journal Issue: 36 Vol. 17; ISSN 1463-9076; ISSN PPCPFQ

Publisher:: Royal Society of ChemistryCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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