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Processing of pristine single and multiwalled carbon nanotubes as different stacking layers in bulk heterojunction solar cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 August 2013

M. Alam Khan
Affiliation:
Optoelectronic Laboratory, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, 72701, AR, U.S.A.
Michio Matsumura
Affiliation:
Research Center for Solar Energy Chemistry, Osaka University, 1-3 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka Campus, Osaka 560-8531, Japan
Omar Manasreh
Affiliation:
Optoelectronic Laboratory, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, 72701, AR, U.S.A.
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Abstract

A study on the individualization of commercially purchased SWCNT and MWCNT were made in an N-N dimethyl tetraformamide solvent by a combination of ultrasonication and centrifugation, and processing of these individualized CNTs are applied as a stacking layer in bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells. The wt% (mg) of pristine CNTs loading was optimized in respect to volume of solvent (ml). Then as prepared BHJ devices were modified by spin casting at 4000 rpm/30s of these pristine individualized CNTs by incorporating a stacking layer (∼30 nm) for efficiency evaluation. Comparisons of the devices made with known functionalized CNTs (acid treated) and found that stacking of pristine individualized CNTs between the PEDOT:PSS and active (P3HT:PCBM) layer demonstrate a significantly enhanced efficiency of 2.1% (JSC of 9 mA/cm2, VOC of 0.6, FF of 39) from the normal BHJ of 1.2% (JSC of 5.3 mA/cm2, VOC of 0.62, FF of 33). However, SWCNT with acid treated when applied in BHJ shows degrading efficiency (0.51%) which can be attributed to the degradation of corrugated tubular side walls leading to potential loss of opt-oelectric properties. The enhanced efficiency of devices with pristine individualize CNTs can be conjectured due to better opto-electrical properties and undamaged tubes. The microstructures of the heterojunction active layer were examined by using UV-Vis spectra, IV curve and EQE techniques.

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Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2013 

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References

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