Negrón-McFarlane, Christian

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    Development of organic solar cells using sulfonated polymer as active layer in bulk heterojunction devices
    (2020-05-27) Negrón-McFarlane, Christian; Padovani-Blanco, Agnes M.; College of Engineering; Suleiman-Rosado, David; Calcagno, Bárbara; Santiago-Román, Aidsa I.; Department of Materials Science and Engineering; López-Moreno, Martha L.
    Third-generation organic solar cells appear to be an alternative energy source for the future, however their main challenge has to do with achieving the optimal properties required for efficient, stable, and reasonably-priced solar cells. This work focuses on the development of novel active layer materials for application in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) devices. Photovoltaic measurements and material characterization studies were performed on a newly developed sulfonated-polymer, sulfonated poly(styrene)-poly(2-ethoxyethylmethacrylate)-poly(styrene) (SBCB). Critical materials properties and processing parameters such as the optical band gap, thin film thickness and uniformity, and film morphology were evaluated using a combination of materials characterization techniques that included atomic force microscopy, profilometry, and UV-Visible spectroscopy, among others. BHJ devices were fabricated using a standard configuration and the newly-developed polymer as the active layer. Polymer blends with [6,6]-Phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) were also evaluated and compared against P3HT:PCBM blends, which are currently considered the state-of-the-art combination for organic solar cells. The electrical performance of the fabricated devices was studied by determining I-V characteristics under solar exposure. These characteristics were evaluated as a function of the blending ratios and also the active layer thickness. The results for the P3HT:PCBM polymer blends validated the fabrication process for developing functional BHJ devices and the most efficient solar cell tested had a short circuit current density of 9.52 x 10-5 A/cm2, an open circuit voltage of 0.35 V, and a fill factor of 0.19. These values correspond to a solar cell with a 2:1 blend ratio and an active layer thickness of approximately 100 nm. In the case of the SBCB solar cells, the results suggest that further optimization of the polymer is needed in order to enhance its light absorption in the required range and therefore, improve its electrical performance.