Fully solution processed p-i-n organic solar cells with an industrial pigment – Quinacridone

• Published in: Organic electronics Vol. 12; no. 7; pp. 1126 - 1131
• Main Authors: Chen, Teresa L., Chen, John Jun-An, Catane, Luis, Ma, Biwu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.07.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Compound structure devices; Electronics; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Industrial pigment; Natural energy; Organic solar cells; p-i-n; Photovoltaic conversion; Quinacridone; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Solar cells. Photoelectrochemical cells; Solar energy; Solution processing; Thermal treatment; Quinacridone; Organic solar cells; Industrial pigment; p-i-n; Solution processing; Thermal treatment; Performance evaluation; Heat treatment; Conversion rate; Multiple layer; Thin film; Casting; Manufacturing process; Energy conversion; Pigments; Thermal annealing; Electron donor; Growth from solution; Bilayers; Heterojunction
• ISSN: 1566-1199; 1878-5530
• DOI: 10.1016/j.orgel.2011.03.039

[Display omitted] ► Organic solar cells with quinacridone (QA), an industrial pigment, were demonstrated. ► Spin casting of soluble precursor ( t-BOC QA) solutions yielded uniform thin films. ► Thermal treatment of t-BOC QA films resulted in the formation of insoluble QA films. ► Regenerated QA films acted as electron donor and solution processed PC60BM as acceptor. ► Power conversion efficiency of 0.83% was obtained for fully solution processed p-i-n devices. We report solution processed organic solar cells with quinacridone (QA), an industrial pigment, as the electron donor. Applying simple spin casting and thermal annealing, trilayer devices with a pure donor (p) layer, a bulk heterojunction (i) layer, and a pure acceptor (n) layer have been fabricated. Tert-butoxycarbonyl quinacridone ( t-BOC QA), a soluble yellow precursor of industrial red pigment of quinacridone, was synthesized by replacing the H atom of the NH group on QA with a t-BOC group. Uniform thin films were prepared by spin casting t-BOC QA solutions, which could be converted into insoluble thin films by thermal treatment to remove the solubilizing groups. This conversion allowed for the subsequent depositions of multiple layers without the use of orthogonal solvents. The p-i-n devices showed much higher device performance than their bilayer and simple bulk heterojunction counterparts, exhibiting power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) as high as 0.83%.