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Title: Effects of interfacial ligand type on hybrid P3HT:CdSe quantum dot solar cell device parameters

Abstract

In this work, a series of CdSe quantum dot acceptors possessing six different ligand frameworks (i.e., pivalic acid, pyridine, butylamine, tert-butylthiol, thiophenol, and tetrahydrothiophene) were used as platforms for investigating the influence of quantum dot surface chemistry on the performance of hybrid poly(3-hexythiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT):CdSe quantum dot bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells. We confirm that the device parameters used to evaluate solar cell performance are significantly influenced by the nature of the quantum dot surface ligand. The dependence of short circuit current density ($$J_{SC}$$) on the CdSe ligand type was probed using ultrafast time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) measurements, and good correlations between the ligand-dependent trends in $$J_{SC}$$ and excited state lifetime were found, in which the P3HT:CdSe quantum dot BHJs with the shortest PL lifetimes possess the largest device current densities. The frontier energy levels of the quantum dot acceptors are significantly influenced by surface ligands, wherein the device open circuit potentials (VOC) were found to linearly correlate with the energy difference ($$ΔE_{DA}$$) between the HOMO of the P3HT donor and the electrochemically determined LUMO of the CdSe quantum dot acceptors over a range of 220 mV. This work demonstrates the versatility of quantum dot ligand engineering for tuning the device parameters and performance of hybrid solar cells.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); Research Corporation for Science Advancement
OSTI Identifier:
1610896
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1558138
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC0006812; FG02-11ER46826
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Chemical Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 151; Journal Issue: 7; Journal ID: ISSN 0021-9606
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; 71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; Chemistry; Physics

Citation Formats

Greaney, Matthew J., Joy, Jimmy, Combs, Blair A., Das, Saptaparna, Buckley, Jannise J., Bradforth, Stephen E., and Brutchey, Richard L. Effects of interfacial ligand type on hybrid P3HT:CdSe quantum dot solar cell device parameters. United States: N. p., 2019. Web. doi:10.1063/1.5114932.
Greaney, Matthew J., Joy, Jimmy, Combs, Blair A., Das, Saptaparna, Buckley, Jannise J., Bradforth, Stephen E., & Brutchey, Richard L. Effects of interfacial ligand type on hybrid P3HT:CdSe quantum dot solar cell device parameters. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5114932
Greaney, Matthew J., Joy, Jimmy, Combs, Blair A., Das, Saptaparna, Buckley, Jannise J., Bradforth, Stephen E., and Brutchey, Richard L. Wed . "Effects of interfacial ligand type on hybrid P3HT:CdSe quantum dot solar cell device parameters". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5114932. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1610896.
@article{osti_1610896,
title = {Effects of interfacial ligand type on hybrid P3HT:CdSe quantum dot solar cell device parameters},
author = {Greaney, Matthew J. and Joy, Jimmy and Combs, Blair A. and Das, Saptaparna and Buckley, Jannise J. and Bradforth, Stephen E. and Brutchey, Richard L.},
abstractNote = {In this work, a series of CdSe quantum dot acceptors possessing six different ligand frameworks (i.e., pivalic acid, pyridine, butylamine, tert-butylthiol, thiophenol, and tetrahydrothiophene) were used as platforms for investigating the influence of quantum dot surface chemistry on the performance of hybrid poly(3-hexythiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT):CdSe quantum dot bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells. We confirm that the device parameters used to evaluate solar cell performance are significantly influenced by the nature of the quantum dot surface ligand. The dependence of short circuit current density ($J_{SC}$) on the CdSe ligand type was probed using ultrafast time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) measurements, and good correlations between the ligand-dependent trends in $J_{SC}$ and excited state lifetime were found, in which the P3HT:CdSe quantum dot BHJs with the shortest PL lifetimes possess the largest device current densities. The frontier energy levels of the quantum dot acceptors are significantly influenced by surface ligands, wherein the device open circuit potentials (VOC) were found to linearly correlate with the energy difference ($ΔE_{DA}$) between the HOMO of the P3HT donor and the electrochemically determined LUMO of the CdSe quantum dot acceptors over a range of 220 mV. This work demonstrates the versatility of quantum dot ligand engineering for tuning the device parameters and performance of hybrid solar cells.},
doi = {10.1063/1.5114932},
journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics},
number = 7,
volume = 151,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Aug 21 00:00:00 EDT 2019},
month = {Wed Aug 21 00:00:00 EDT 2019}
}

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