Combining Polymer Zwitterions and Zinc Oxide for High-Performance Inverted Organic Solar Cells.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a widely used cathode interlayer material in inverted organic solar cells (OSCs). However, there are lots of surfaces or bulk film defects in ZnO layers, which degrade solar cell performance. Here, the typical phosphorylcholine- and sulfobetaine-based polymer zwitterions (PMPC and PDMAPS) are synthesized via reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization to modify ZnO interlayers for inverted OSCs. The polymer zwitterions can efficiently passivate the defects in ZnO films and thus increase the conductivity of the ZnO interlayers. Both PMPC and PDMAPS modified ZnO interlayers show some general advantages in improving the performance of fullerene-based and non-fullerene-based OSCs. The highest efficiency of 16.69% is achieved by using PMPC modified ZnO interlayers in PM6:Y6 based solar cell devices, which is among the best performance in inverted OSCs. Such an improvement in device performance is attributed to the work function reduction of the polymer zwitterions modified ZnO films, which provides an efficient cathode platform to extract and transport electrons from the active layers, to the benefit of suppressing interfacial charge recombination. As a result, the organic-inorganic hybrid composites (ZnO: polymer zwitterions) show efficient interfacial modification to align energy levels at the device interface, which have promising application prospects in organic electronics.

Sulfonate-Conjugated Polyelectrolytes as Anode Interfacial Layers in Inverted Organic Solar Cells.

Conjugated polymers with ionic pendant groups (CPEs) are receiving increasing attention as solution-processed interfacial materials for organic solar cells (OSCs). Various anionic CPEs have been successfully used, on top of ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) electrodes, as solution-processed anode interlayers (AILs) for conventional devices with direct geometry. However, the development of CPE AILs for OSC devices with inverted geometry is an important topic that still needs to be addressed. Here, we have designed three anionic CPEs bearing alkyl-potassium-sulfonate side chains. Their functional behavior as anode interlayers has been investigated in P3HT:PC61BM (poly(3-hexylthiophene): [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester) devices with an inverted geometry, using a hole collecting silver electrode evaporated on top. Our results reveal that to obtain effective anode modification, the CPEs' conjugated backbone has to be tailored to grant self-doping and to have a good energy-level match with the photoactive layer. Furthermore, the sulfonate moieties not only ensure the solubility in polar orthogonal solvents, induce self-doping via a right choice of the conjugated backbone, but also play a role in the gaining of hole selectivity of the top silver electrode.

Naphtho[1,2-b:5,6-b']dithiophene-Based Conjugated Polymers for Fullerene-Free Inverted Polymer Solar Cells.

Three novel copolymers based on zigzag naphthodithiophene (zNDT) with different aromatic rings as π bridges and different core side substitutions are designed and synthesized (PzNDT-T-1,3-bis(4-(2-ethylhexyl)-thiophen-2-yl)-5,7-bis(2-ethylhexyl)benzo[1,2-c:4,5-c']-dithiophene-4,8-dione (BDD), PzNDT-TT-BDD, and PzNDTP-T-BDD, respectively). The 2D conjugation structure and molecular planarity of the polymers can be effectively altered through the modification of conjugated side chains and π-bridges. These alterations contribute to the variation in energy levels, light absorption capacity, and morphology compatibility of the polymers. When blended with the nonfullerene acceptor (2,2'-[(4,4,9,9-tetrahexyl-4,9-dihydro-sindaceno[1,2-b:5,6-b']dithiophene-2,7-diyl)bis[methylidyne(3-oxo-1H-indene-2,1(3H)-diylidene)]]bis-propanedinitrile) (IDIC), PzNDT-T-BDD exhibits the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 9.72% among the three polymers. This result can be attributed to its superior crystallinity and more obvious face-on orientation in blending film. PzNDT-TT-BDD and PzNDTP-T-BDD present PCE values of 8.20% and 4.62%, respectively. The alteration of polymer structure, particularly the modification of conjugated side chains and π-bridges, is an effective strategy for designing NDT-based polymers with high photovoltaic performance and potential applications in fullerene-free solar cells.

In-Doped ZnO Electron Transport Layer for High-Efficiency Ultrathin Flexible Organic Solar Cells.

Sol-gel processed zinc oxide (ZnO) is one of the most widely used electron transport layers (ETLs) in inverted organic solar cells (OSCs). The high annealing temperature (≈200 °C) required for sintering to ensure a high electron mobility however results in severe damage to flexible substrates. Thus, flexible organic solar cells based on sol-gel processed ZnO exhibit significantly lower efficiency than rigid devices. In this paper, an indium-doping approach is developed to improve the optoelectronic properties of ZnO layers and reduce the required annealing temperature. Inverted OSCs based on In-doped ZnO (IZO) exhibit a higher efficiency than those based on ZnO for a range of different active layer systems. For the PM6:L8-BO system, the efficiency increases from 17.0% for the pristine ZnO-based device to 17.8% for the IZO-based device. The IZO-based device with an active layer of PM6:L8-BO:BTP-eC9 exhibits an even higher efficiency of up to 18.1%. In addition, a 1.2-micrometer-thick inverted ultrathin flexible organic solar cell is fabricated based on the IZO ETL that achieves an efficiency of 17.0% with a power-per-weight ratio of 40.4 W g-1, which is one of the highest efficiency for ultrathin (less than 10 micrometers) flexible organic solar cells.

New Ternary Blend Strategy Based on a Vertically Self-Assembled Passivation Layer Enabling Efficient and Photostable Inverted Organic Solar Cells.

Herein, a new ternary strategy to fabricate efficient and photostable inverted organic photovoltaics (OPVs) is introduced by combining a bulk heterojunction (BHJ) blend and a fullerene self-assembled monolayer (C60 -SAM). Time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry - analysis reveals that the ternary blend is vertically phase separated with the C60 -SAM at the bottom and the BHJ on top. The average power conversion efficiency - of OPVs based on the ternary system is improved from 14.9% to 15.6% by C60 -SAM addition, mostly due to increased current density (Jsc ) and fill factor -. It is found that the C60 -SAM encourages the BHJ to make more face-on molecular orientation because grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering - data show an increased face-on/edge-on orientation ratio in the ternary blend. Light-intensity dependent Jsc data and charge carrier lifetime analysis indicate suppressed bimolecular recombination and a longer charge carrier lifetime in the ternary system, resulting in the enhancement of OPV performance. Moreover, it is demonstrated that device photostability in the ternary blend is enhanced due to the vertically self-assembled C60 -SAM that successfully passivates the ZnO surface and protects BHJ layer from the UV-induced photocatalytic reactions of the ZnO. These results suggest a new perspective to improve both performance and photostability of OPVs using a facial ternary method.

New Method for Preparing ZnO Layer for Efficient and Stable Organic Solar Cells.

Owing to outstanding optoelectronic properties and simple preparation, zinc oxide (ZnO) has widely been used in organic solar cells (OSCs). Although versatile cathode interface materials have been designed in past, ZnO remains indispensable owing to its excellent overall performance. Therefore, solving the persistent problem of residual amine reacting with non-fullerene acceptors will make ZnO superior over other materials, and thus improve the performance and energy budget of OSCs. Herein, a simple, effective, and economical method for removing residual amine in ZnO without distorting ZnO is reported. By accurately comparing the alkalinities of ZnO and residual amine, boric acid (BA) is selected as the amine-removing agent because of its suitable acidic dissociation constant. Moreover, the high water solubility of BA ensures that the post-cleaning process can be easily performed. The work function, electron extraction, and stability of cathode interface layer are optimized through rinsing them with BA. Consequently, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) and stability of OSCs under long-term illumination are significantly improved. The optimal 0.04 and 1.00 cm2  single-junction OSCs are based on PBDB-TF:HDO-4Cl:BTP-eC9 bulk heterojunction output 18.40% and 17.42% efficiencies, respectively. Furthermore, tandem OSCs based on the BA-treated ZnO exhibit a 19.56% PCE, demonstrating the reliability of this method.

Device Modeling of Organic Photovoltaic Cells with Traditional and Inverted Cells Using s-SWCNT:C60 as Active Layer.

This research work presents a thorough analysis of Traditional Organic Solar Cell (TOSC) and novel designed Inverted OSC (IOSC) using Bulk Hetero-Junction (BHJ) structure. Herein, 2D photovoltaic device models were used to observe the results of the semiconducting Single Wall Carbon Nanotube (s-SWCNT):C60-based organic photovoltaic. This work has improved the BHJ photodiodes by varying the active layer thickness. The analysis has been performed at various active layer thicknesses from 50 to 300 nm using the active material s-SWCNT:C60. An analysis with various parameters to determine the most effective parameters for organic photovoltaic performance has been conducted. As a result, it has been established that IOSC has the maximum efficiency of 10.4%, which is higher than the efficiency of TOSC (9.5%). In addition, the active layer with the highest efficacy has been recorded using this material for both TOSC and IOSC Nano Photodiodes (NPDs). Furthermore, the diode structure and geometrical parameters have been optimized and compared to maximize the performance of photodiodes.

The effect of gold quantum dots/grating-coupled surface plasmons in inverted organic solar cells.

We studied the effect of gold quantum dots (AuQDs)/grating-coupled surface plasmon resonance (GC-SPR) in inverted organic solar cells (OSCs). AuQDs are located within a GC-SPR evanescent field in inverted OSCs, indicating an interaction between GC-SPR and AuQDs' quantum effects, subsequently giving rise to improvement in the performance of inverted OSCs. The fabricated solar cell device comprises an ITO/TiO2/P3HT : PCBM/PEDOT : PSS : AuQD/silver grating structure. The AuQDs were loaded into a hole transport layer (PEDOT : PSS) of the inverted OSCs to increase absorption in the near-ultraviolet (UV) light region and to emit visible light into the neighbouring photoactive layer, thereby achieving light-harvesting improvement of the device. The grating structures were fabricated on P3HT:PCBM layers using a nanoimprinting technique to induce GC-SPR within the inverted OSCs. The AuQDs incorporated within the strongly enhanced GC-SPR evanescent electric field on metallic nanostructures in the inverted OSCs improved the short-circuit current and the efficiency of photovoltaic devices. In comparison with the reference OSC and OSCs with only green AuQDs or only metallic grating, the developed device indicates enhancement of up to 16% power conversion efficiency. This indicates that our light management approach allows for greater light utilization of the OSCs because of the synergistic effect of G-AuQDs and GC-SPR.

Orthogonal Printable Reduced Graphene Oxide 2D Materials as Hole Transport Layers for High-Performance Inverted Polymer Solar Cells: Sheet Size Effect on Photovoltaic Properties.

Creating an orthogonal printable hole-transporting layer (HTL) without damaging the underlying layer is still a major challenge in fabricating large-area printed inverted polymer solar cells (PSCs). In this study, we prepared orthogonal-processable fluorine-functionalized reduced graphene oxide (FrGO) series with various two-dimensional sheet sizes such as large-sized FrGO (1.1 µm), medium-sized FrGO (0.7 µm), and small-sized FrGO (0.3 µm) and systematically investigated the size effect of FrGOs on the hole transport properties of PSCs. The FrGOs exhibit highly stable dispersion without change over 90 days in 2-propanol solvent, indicating very high dispersion stability. Decreasing the sheet size of FrGOs enhanced hole-transporting properties, resulting in power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 9.27 and 9.02% for PTB7-Th:EH-IDTBR- and PTB7-Th:PC71BM-based PSCs, respectively. Compared to devices with solution-processed poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), a 14% enhancement of PCEs was achieved. Interestingly, the PCEs of devices with the smallest FrGO sheet are higher than the PCE of 8.77% of a device with vacuum-deposited MoO3. The enhancement in the performance of PSCs is attributed to the enhanced charge collection efficiency, decreased leakage current, internal resistance, and minimized charge recombination. Finally, small-sized FrGO HTLs were successfully coated on the photoactive layer using the spray coating method, and they also exhibited PCEs of 9.22 and 13.26% for PTB7-Th:EH-IDTBR- and PM6:Y6-based inverted PSCs, respectively.

Modification of the Highly Conductive PEDOT:PSS Layer for Use in Silver Nanogrid Electrodes for Flexible Inverted Polymer Solar Cells.

Silver nanogrid based flexible transparent electrode is recognized as the most promising alternative to ITO electrode for organic electronics, owing to its low production cost and excellent flexibility. Typically, a highly conductive thin film coating layer, such as highly conductive PEDOT:PSS (HC-PEDOT:PSS) is usually deposited onto the Ag-grid electrode to smooth the surface and to minimize the sheet resistance. In this paper, we found that inverted flexible polymer solar cells with structure of Ag-grid/HC-PEDOT:PSS/ZnO/photoactive layer/MoO3/Al generally exhibits strong S-shaped J-V curves, which could be eliminated by light-soaking treatment. Kelvin probe force microscope (KPFM) measurement proved that a large work function (WF) difference (0.70 eV) between HC-PEDOT:PSS and ZnO is the main reason for the formation of S-shape. White light soaking of the Ag-grid/HC-PEDOT:PSS gradually decreased the WF of HC-PEDOT:PSS from 5.10 to 4.60 eV, leading to a reduced WF difference between HC-PEDOT:PSS and ZnO from 0.70 to 0.38 eV. Such a WF difference decrease was believed to be the working mechanism for the light-soaking effect in this flexible device. Based on this finding, the HC-PEDOT:PSS solution was then modified by doping with polyethylenimine (PEI) and aqueous ammonia. The modified PEDOT:PSS film is characteristic of adjusting WF through varying PEI doping concentrations. By using such a modified PEDOT:PSS layer, light-soaking-free flexible inverted polymer solar cell with a power conversion efficiency of 6.58% was achieved for PTB7-Th:PC71BM cells. The current work provides a useful guideline for interfacial modification for Ag-grid based flexible electrode.

Low-Temperature Solution-Processed Thiophene-Sulfur-Doped Planar ZnO Nanorods as Electron-Transporting Layers for Enhanced Performance of Organic Solar Cells.

1-D ZnO represents a fascinating class of nanostructures that are significant to optoelectronics. In this work, we investigated the use of an eco-friendly, metal free in situ doping through a pure thiophene-sulfur (S) on low temperature processed (<95 °C) and annealed (<170 °C), planar 1-D ZnO nanorods (ZnRs) spin-coated as a hole-blocking and electron transporting layer (ETL) for inverted organic solar cells (iOSCs). The TEM, HRTEM, XPS, FT-IR, EDS and Raman studies clearly reveal that the thiophene-S (Thi-S) atom is incorporated on planar ZnRs. The investigations in electrical properties suggest the enhancement in conductivity after Thi-S doping on 1-D ZnRs. The iOSCs of poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT: PC60BM) photoactive layer containing thiophene-S doped planar ZnRs (Thi-S-PZnRs) as ETL exhibits power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.68% under simulated AM 1.5 G, 100 mW cm-2 illumination. The ∼47% enhancement in PCE compared with pristine planar ZnRs (PCE = 2.38%) ETL is attributed to a combination of desirable energy level alignment, morphological modification, increased conductivity and doping effect. The universality of Thi-S-PZnRs ETL is demonstrated by the highest PCE of 8.15% in contrast to 6.50% exhibited by the iOSCs of ZnRs ETL for the photoactive layer comprising of poly[4,8-bis(5-(2-ethylhexyl)thiophene-2-yl)benzo[1,2-b;4,5-b]dithiophene-2,6-diyl-alt-(4-(2-ethylhexyl)-3-fluorothieno[3,4-b]thiophene-)-2-carboxylate-2-6-diyl)]: phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PTB7-Th: PCB71M). This enhancement in PCE is observed to be driven mainly through improved photovoltaic parameters like fill factor (ff) as well as photocurrent density (Jsc), which are assigned to increased conductivity, exciton dissociation, and effective charge extraction, while; better ohmic contact, reduced charge recombination, and low leakage current density resulted in increased Voc.

Low-Temperature Solution-Processed SnO2 Nanoparticles as a Cathode Buffer Layer for Inverted Organic Solar Cells.

SnO2 recently has attracted particular attention as a powerful buffer layer for organic optoelectronic devices due to its outstanding properties such as high electron mobility, suitable band alignment, and high optical transparency. Here, we report on facile low-temperature solution-processed SnO2 nanoparticles (NPs) in applications for a cathode buffer layer (CBL) of inverted organic solar cells (iOSCs). The conduction band energy of SnO2 NPs estimated by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy was 4.01 eV, a salient feature that is necessary for an appropriate CBL. Using SnO2 NPs as CBL derived from a 0.1 M precursor concentration, P3HT:PC60BM-based iOSCs showed the best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 2.9%. The iOSC devices using SnO2 NPs as CBL revealed excellent long-term device stabilities, and the PCE was retained at ∼95% of its initial value after 10 weeks in ambient air. These solution-processed SnO2 NPs are considered to be suitable for the low-cost, high throughput roll-to-roll process on a flexible substrate for optoelectronic devices.

High Efficiency Inverted Organic Solar Cells with a Neutral Fulleropyrrolidine Electron-Collecting Interlayer.

A novel fulleropyrrolidine derivative, named FPNOH, was designed, synthesized, and utilized as an efficient electron-collecting (EC) layer for inverted organic solar cells (i-OSCs). The grafted diethanolamino-polar moieties can not only trigger its function as an EC interlayer, but also induce orthogonal solubility that guarantees subsequent multilayer processing without interfacial mixing. A higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) value of 8.34% was achieved for i-OSC devices with ITO/FPNOH EC electrode, compared to that of the sol-gel ZnO based reference devices with an optimized PCE value of 7.92%. High efficiency exceeding 7.7% was still achieved even for the devices with a relatively thick FPNOH film (16.9 nm). It is worthwhile to mention that this kind of material exhibits less thickness dependent performance, in contrast to widely utilized p-type conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs) as well as the nonconjugated polyelectrolytes (NCPEs). Further investigation on illuminating intensity dependent parameters revealed the role of FPNOH in reducing interfacial trap-induced recombination at the ITO/active layer interface.

High-Efficiency Small Molecule-Based Bulk-Heterojunction Solar Cells Enhanced by Additive Annealing.

Solvent additive processing is important in optimizing an active layer's morphology and thus improving the performance of organic solar cells (OSCs). In this study, we find that how 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO) additive is removed plays a critical role in determining the film morphology of the bulk heterojunction OSCs in inverted structure based on a porphyrin small molecule. Different from the cases reported for polymer-based OSCs in conventional structures, the inverted OSCs upon the quick removal of the additive either by quick vacuuming or methanol washing exhibit poorer performance. In contrast, the devices after keeping the active layers in ambient pressure with additive dwelling for about 1 h (namely, additive annealing) show an enhanced power conversion efficiency up to 7.78% with a large short circuit current of 19.25 mA/cm(2), which are among the best in small molecule-based solar cells. The detailed morphology analyses using UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, grazing incidence X-ray diffraction, resonant soft X-ray scattering, and atomic force microscopy demonstrate that the active layer shows smaller-sized phase separation but improved structure order upon additive annealing. On the contrary, the quick removal of the additive either by quick vacuuming or methanol washing keeps the active layers in an earlier stage of large scaled phase separation.

Amine-Based Interfacial Molecules for Inverted Polymer-Based Optoelectronic Devices.

The change in the work function (WF) of ZnO with amine-based interfacial mole-cules (AIM) can be controlled by the number of amine groups. AIM with a larger amine group can induce a stronger interface dipole between the amine groups and the ZnO surface, leading to a greater reduction of the WF.

Interfacial Engineering Importance of Bilayered ZnO Cathode Buffer on the Photovoltaic Performance of Inverted Organic Solar Cells.

The role of cathode buffer layer (CBL) is crucial in determining the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of inverted organic solar cells (IOSCs). The hallmarks of a promising CBL include high transparency, ideal energy levels, and tendency to offer good interfacial contact with the organic bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) layers. Zinc oxide (ZnO), with its ability to form numerous morphologies in juxtaposition to its excellent electron affinity, solution processability, and good transparency is an ideal CBL material for IOSCs. Technically, when CBL is sandwiched between the BHJ active layer and the indium-tin-oxide (ITO) cathode, it performs two functions, namely, electron collection from the photoactive layer that is effectively carried out by morphologies like nanoparticles or nanoridges obtained by ZnO sol-gel (ZnO SG) method through an accumulation of individual nanoparticles and, second, transport of collected electrons toward the cathode, which is more effectively manifested by one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures like ZnO nanorods (ZnO NRs). This work presents the use of bilayered ZnO CBL in IOSCs of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)/[6, 6]-phenyl-C60-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) to overcome the limitations offered by a conventionally used single layer CBL. We found that the PCE of IOSCs with an appropriate bilayer CBL comprising of ZnO NRs/ZnO SG is ∼18.21% higher than those containing ZnO SG/ZnO NRs. We believe that, in bilayer ZnO NRs/ZnO SG, ZnO SG collects electrons effectively from photoactive layer while ZnO NRs transport them further to ITO resulting significant increase in the photocurrent to achieve highest PCE of 3.70%. The enhancement in performance was obtained through improved interfacial engineering, enhanced electrical properties, and reduced surface/bulk defects in bilayer ZnO NRs/ZnO SG. This study demonstrates that the novel bilayer ZnO CBL approach of electron collection/transport would overcome crucial interfacial recombination issues and contribute in enhancing PCE of IOSCs.

Design of Super-Paramagnetic Core-Shell Nanoparticles for Enhanced Performance of Inverted Polymer Solar Cells.

Controlling the nature and transfer of excited states in organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices is of critical concern due to the fact that exciton transport and separation can dictate the final performance of the system. One effective method to accomplish improved charge separation in organic electronic materials is to control the spin state of the photogenerated charge-carrying species. To this end, nanoparticles with unique iron oxide (Fe3O4) cores and zinc oxide (ZnO) shells were synthesized in a controlled manner. Then, the structural and magnetic properties of these core-shell nanoparticles (Fe3O4@ZnO) were tuned to ensure superior performance when they were incorporated into the active layers of OPV devices. Specifically, small loadings of the core-shell nanoparticles were blended with the previously well-characterized OPV active layer of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). Upon addition of the core-shell nanoparticles, the performance of the OPV devices was increased up to 25% relative to P3HT-PCBM active layer devices that contained no nanoparticles; this increase was a direct result of an increase in the short-circuit current densities of the devices. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the increase in photocurrent was not due to enhanced absorption of the active layer due to the presence of the Fe3O4@ZnO core-shell nanoparticles. In fact, this increase in device performance occurred because of the presence of the superparamagnetic Fe3O4 in the core of the nanoparticles as incorporation of ZnO only nanoparticles did not alter the device performance. Importantly, however, the ZnO shell of the nanoparticles mitigated the negative optical effect of Fe3O4, which have been observed previously. This allowed the core-shell nanoparticles to outperform bare Fe3O4 nanoparticles when the single-layer nanoparticles were incorporated into the active layer of OPV devices. As such, the new materials described here present a tangible pathway toward the development of enhanced design schemes for inorganic nanoparticles such that magnetic and energy control pathways can be tailored for flexible electronic applications.

Microscopic Investigations into the Effect of Surface Treatment of Cathode and Electron Transport Layer on the Performance of Inverted Organic Solar Cells.

Surface treatments of various layers in organic solar cells play a vital role in determining device characteristics. In this manuscript, we report on the influence of surface treatment of indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode and electron transport layer (ETL), ZnO, on the photovoltaic performance of inverted organic solar cells (IOSC) and their correlation with the surface chemistry and surface potential as studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM), using the device structure glass/ITO/ZnO/P3HT: PCBM/MoO3/(Au or Ag) (P3HT, poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl), and PCBM, phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester). Our results show that although ozonization of ITO leads to an improvement in the device power conversion efficiency, the ozonization of a subsequent ZnO layer results in a decreased performance mainly because of a decrease in the fill factor (FF). However, subsequent methanol (CH3OH) treatment of ZnO layer on an ozonized ITO electrode shows substantial improvement with device efficiencies exceeding ∼4% along with superior reproducibility of the devices. Furthermore, a detailed analysis of the surface wettability, chemistry, and surface potential using contact angle measurements, XPS, and KPFM attribute the improvements to the elimination of surface defects and the changes in the surface potential. Finally, impedance analysis suggests that methanol treatment of the ZnO layers leads to the development of a favorable nanophase structure with higher conductivity, which is otherwise indiscernible using microscopic methods.

Solvents induced ZnO nanoparticles aggregation associated with their interfacial effect on organic solar cells.

ZnO nanofilm as a cathode buffer layer has surface defects due to the aggregations of ZnO nanoparticles, leading to poor device performance of organic solar cells. In this paper, we report the ZnO nanoparticles aggregations in solution can be controlled by adjusting the solvents ratios (chloroform vs methanol). These aggregations could influence the morphology of ZnO film. Therefore, compact and homogeneous ZnO film can be obtained to help achieve a preferable power conversion efficiency of 8.54% in inverted organic solar cells. This improvement is attributed to the decreased leakage current and the increased electron-collecting efficiency as well as the improved interface contact with the active layer. In addition, we find the enhanced maximum exciton generation rate and exciton dissociation probability lead to the improvement of device performance due to the preferable ZnO dispersion. Compared to other methods of ZnO nanofilm fabrication, it is the more convenient, moderate, and effective to get a preferable ZnO buffer layer for high-efficiency organic solar cells.