Poly(o-phenylenediamine) thin film for organic solar cell applications

• Published in: Journal of solid state electrochemistry Vol. 22; no. 12; pp. 3673 - 3687
• Main Authors: Zoromba, M. Sh, Abdel-Aziz, M. H., Bassyouni, M., Bahaitham, H., Al-Hossainy, A. F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.12.2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aluminum; Analytical Chemistry; Capacitance-voltage characteristics; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Condensed Matter Physics; Dark current; Diodes; Electric potential; Electrochemistry; Energy conversion efficiency; Energy Storage; Heterojunctions; Luminous intensity; Molecular structure; Morphology; Organic chemistry; Original Paper; Phenylenediamine; Photovoltaic cells; Physical Chemistry; Room temperature; Silicon; Solar cells; Structural stability; Surface stability; Thermal stability; Thin films; White light; Conducting polymer; Polymer solar cell; Thin film
• ISSN: 1432-8488; 1433-0768
• DOI: 10.1007/s10008-018-4077-x

Poly(ortho phenylenediamine) (PoPDA) microrods with ladder-type structure are synthesized in acidic medium (pH = 0.5) at room temperature based on a developed and facile method. The molecular structure, thermal stability, and surface morphology of the microrods-shaped PoPDA were described by different characterization techniques comprising FTIR, TGA, 1 HNMR, and SEM. Optimized thin films of PoPDA were successfully fabricated by thermal deposition method. The thin film was characterized by XRD and AFM. Au/PoPDA/p-Si/Al heterojunction diodes have been successfully fabricated. Dark current–voltage and capacitance–voltage characteristics were applied to get the particular parameters of the devices. Photovoltaic features of Au/PoPDA/p-Si/Al heterojunction at various intensities of white light illumination are studied. Under optimized conditions, the fabricated planar heterojunction solar cells utilizing a 95 ± 10 nm of PoPDA film exhibited a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of ~ 5.64% ( J SC  = 41.78 A/m 2 , V OC  = 0.36 V, and FF = 28.11%). The relatively small FF (at room temperature with IP) and R s of the devices designate that by increasing of the absolute temperature, the photovoltaic performance of the solar cells can be improved.