Air processed P3HT:PCBM photovoltaic cells: Morphology correlation to annealing, degradation, and recovery

Wu, Qi; Bhattacharya, Mithun; Moore, Levi M. J.; Morgan, Sarah E.

doi:10.1002/polb.23605

Air processed P3HT:PCBM photovoltaic cells: Morphology correlation to annealing, degradation, and recovery

Journal Article · Fri Oct 03 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Journal of Polymer Science. Part B, Polymer Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/polb.23605· OSTI ID:1401113

Wu, Qi ^[1]; Bhattacharya, Mithun ^[1]; Moore, Levi M. J. ^[1]; Morgan, Sarah E. ^[1]

School of Polymers and High Performance Materials, The University of Southern Mississippi 118 College Drive, #5050 Hattiesburg Mississippi

ABSTRACT

Systematically varied annealing, encapsulation, and solvent vapor treatments are conducted to produce stable OPV devices with controlled film morphology and high performance when produced in air. Active layer films are analyzed by AFM, nanomechanical mapping, UV–vis spectroscopy, and XRD. Devices prepared with isopropanol solvent vapor annealing (SVA) combined with thermal annealing (TA) show the highest environmental resistance and performance. Such devices yield average PCE of 3.3%, with stability to atmospheric exposure of up to 60 min prior to encapsulation. Encapsulated devices exposed to the laboratory environment for 30 days exhibit a decrease in PCE of ∼15%. On application of a second TA step PCE is recovered to over 90% of the original value. The unprecedented air stability of the cells is attributed to the formation of an active layer with a stable, favorable morphology during the SVA process, which is associated with lower oxygen content films. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014 , 52 , 1511–1520

View Accepted Manuscript (Publisher)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: EE0003173

OSTI ID:: 1401113

Journal Information:: Journal of Polymer Science. Part B, Polymer Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Polymer Science. Part B, Polymer Physics Journal Issue: 23 Vol. 52; ISSN 0887-6266

Publisher:: Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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