18.4% Organic Solar Cells Using a High Ionization Energy Self-Assembled Monolayer as Hole Extraction Interlayer

Yuanbao Lin, Artiom Magomedov, Yuliar Firdaus, Dimitris Kaltsas, Abdulrahman El Labban, Hendrik Faber, Dipti R Naphade, Emre Yengel, Xiaopeng Zheng, Emre Yarali, Neha Chaturvedi, Kalaivanan Loganathan, Despoina Gkeka, Sanaa Hayel Nazil Alshammari, Osman Bakr, Frédéric Laquai, Leonidas Tsetseris, Vytautas Getautis, Thomas D. Anthopoulos

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

147 Scopus citations

Abstract

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) based on Br-2PACz and MeO-2PACz molecules are investigated as hole-extracting interlayers in organic photovoltaics (OPVs). The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energies of these SAMs were measured at -6.01 and -5.30 eV for Br-2PACz and MeO-2PACz, respectively, and found to induce significant changes in the work function (WF) of indium-tin-oxide (ITO) electrodes upon chemical functionalization. OPV cells based on PM6:BTP-eC9:PC 71 BM using ITO/Br-2PACz anodes exhibit a maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.4%, outperforming devices with ITO/MeO-2PACz (14.5%) and ITO/PEDOT:PSS (17.5%). The higher PCE is found to originate from the much higher WF of ITO/Br-2PACz (-5.81 eV) compared to ITO/MeO-2PACz (4.58 eV) and ITO/PEDOT:PSS (4.9 eV), resulting in lower interface resistance, improved hole transport/extraction, lower trap-assisted recombination, and longer carrier lifetimes. Importantly, the ITO/Br-2PACz electrode is chemically stable and after removal of the SAM it can be recycled and reused to construct fresh OPVs with equally impressive performance.
Original languageEnglish (US)
JournalChemSusChem
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 29 2021

Bibliographical note

KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2021-05-03

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Energy
  • Environmental Chemistry
  • General Materials Science
  • General Chemical Engineering

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