Solution processable nanocarbon platform for polymer solar cells

Abstract

We have demonstrated an architecture of polymer solar cells based on allotropes of nanocarbon materials which can be fabricated fully compatible with solution processed printable electronics. The device consists of a transparent conducting electrode using one-dimensional (1D) single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), a hole transporting interfacial layer using two-dimensional (2D) graphene oxide (GO) and the zero-dimension (0D) fullerene derivative phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM)/poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) blends as a photoactive layer. A promising power conversion efficiency of 3.1% can be achieved in this nanocarbon based polymer solar cell. The fully solution processable SWNT/GO anode can be a good candidate to replace the traditional transparent conducting electrode ITO and the interfacial anode layer PEDOT:PSS, providing a new route to develop low-cost, large area and flexible organic photovoltaic devices based on the nanocarbon platform.