High-Efficiency Colloidal Quantum Dot Photovoltaics via Robust Self-Assembled Monolayers

Gi-Hwan Kim; F. Pelayo García de Arquer; Yung Jin Yoon; Xinzheng Lan; Mengxia Liu; Oleksandr Voznyy; Zhenyu Yang; Fengjia Fan; Alexander H. Ip; Pongsakorn Kanjanaboos; Sjoerd Hoogland; Jin Young Kim; Edward H. Sargent

doi:10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b03677

High-Efficiency Colloidal Quantum Dot Photovoltaics via Robust Self-Assembled Monolayers

Gi-Hwan Kim, F. Pelayo García de Arquer, Yung Jin Yoon, Xinzheng Lan, Mengxia Liu, Oleksandr Voznyy, Zhenyu Yang, Fengjia Fan, Alexander H. Ip, Pongsakorn Kanjanaboos, Sjoerd Hoogland, Jin Young Kim, Edward H. Sargent

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

199 Scopus citations

Abstract

© 2015 American Chemical Society. The optoelectronic tunability offered by colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) is attractive for photovoltaic applications but demands proper band alignment at electrodes for efficient charge extraction at minimal cost to voltage. With this goal in mind, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) can be used to modify interface energy levels locally. However, to be effective SAMs must be made robust to treatment using the various solvents and ligands required for to fabricate high quality CQD solids. We report robust self-assembled monolayers (R-SAMs) that enable us to increase the efficiency of CQD photovoltaics. Only by developing a process for secure anchoring of aromatic SAMs, aided by deposition of the SAMs in a water-free deposition environment, were we able to provide an interface modification that was robust against the ensuing chemical treatments needed in the fabrication of CQD solids. The energy alignment at the rectifying interface was tailored by tuning the R-SAM for optimal alignment relative to the CQD quantum-confined electron energy levels. This resulted in a CQD PV record power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.7% with enhanced reproducibility relative to controls.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	7691-7696
Number of pages	6
Journal	Nano Letters
Volume	15
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b03677
State	Published - Nov 2 2015
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01
Acknowledged KAUST grant number(s): KUS-11-009-21
Acknowledgements: This publication is based in part on work supported by Award KUS-11-009-21, made by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), by the Ontario Research Fund - Research Excellence Program, by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada, and by the International Cooperation of the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) grant funded by the Korea government Ministry of Knowledge Economy (2012T100100740). We thank Emre Yassitepe and Cao-Thang Dinh for helpful discussions. We also thank E. Palmiano, L. Levina, A. Labelle, R. Wolowiec, and D. Kopilovic for their help over the course of this study.
This publication acknowledges KAUST support, but has no KAUST affiliated authors.

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10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b03677

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@article{ac2efe3672ca4792b3140853ab154eb7,

title = "High-Efficiency Colloidal Quantum Dot Photovoltaics via Robust Self-Assembled Monolayers",

abstract = "{\textcopyright} 2015 American Chemical Society. The optoelectronic tunability offered by colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) is attractive for photovoltaic applications but demands proper band alignment at electrodes for efficient charge extraction at minimal cost to voltage. With this goal in mind, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) can be used to modify interface energy levels locally. However, to be effective SAMs must be made robust to treatment using the various solvents and ligands required for to fabricate high quality CQD solids. We report robust self-assembled monolayers (R-SAMs) that enable us to increase the efficiency of CQD photovoltaics. Only by developing a process for secure anchoring of aromatic SAMs, aided by deposition of the SAMs in a water-free deposition environment, were we able to provide an interface modification that was robust against the ensuing chemical treatments needed in the fabrication of CQD solids. The energy alignment at the rectifying interface was tailored by tuning the R-SAM for optimal alignment relative to the CQD quantum-confined electron energy levels. This resulted in a CQD PV record power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.7% with enhanced reproducibility relative to controls.",

author = "Gi-Hwan Kim and {Garc{\'i}a de Arquer}, {F. Pelayo} and Yoon, {Yung Jin} and Xinzheng Lan and Mengxia Liu and Oleksandr Voznyy and Zhenyu Yang and Fengjia Fan and Ip, {Alexander H.} and Pongsakorn Kanjanaboos and Sjoerd Hoogland and Kim, {Jin Young} and Sargent, {Edward H.}",

note = "KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01 Acknowledged KAUST grant number(s): KUS-11-009-21 Acknowledgements: This publication is based in part on work supported by Award KUS-11-009-21, made by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), by the Ontario Research Fund - Research Excellence Program, by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada, and by the International Cooperation of the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) grant funded by the Korea government Ministry of Knowledge Economy (2012T100100740). We thank Emre Yassitepe and Cao-Thang Dinh for helpful discussions. We also thank E. Palmiano, L. Levina, A. Labelle, R. Wolowiec, and D. Kopilovic for their help over the course of this study. This publication acknowledges KAUST support, but has no KAUST affiliated authors.",

year = "2015",

month = nov,

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doi = "10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b03677",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "15",

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T1 - High-Efficiency Colloidal Quantum Dot Photovoltaics via Robust Self-Assembled Monolayers

AU - Kim, Gi-Hwan

AU - García de Arquer, F. Pelayo

AU - Yoon, Yung Jin

AU - Lan, Xinzheng

AU - Liu, Mengxia

AU - Voznyy, Oleksandr

AU - Yang, Zhenyu

AU - Fan, Fengjia

AU - Ip, Alexander H.

AU - Kanjanaboos, Pongsakorn

AU - Hoogland, Sjoerd

AU - Kim, Jin Young

AU - Sargent, Edward H.

N1 - KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01 Acknowledged KAUST grant number(s): KUS-11-009-21 Acknowledgements: This publication is based in part on work supported by Award KUS-11-009-21, made by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), by the Ontario Research Fund - Research Excellence Program, by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada, and by the International Cooperation of the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) grant funded by the Korea government Ministry of Knowledge Economy (2012T100100740). We thank Emre Yassitepe and Cao-Thang Dinh for helpful discussions. We also thank E. Palmiano, L. Levina, A. Labelle, R. Wolowiec, and D. Kopilovic for their help over the course of this study. This publication acknowledges KAUST support, but has no KAUST affiliated authors.

PY - 2015/11/2

Y1 - 2015/11/2

N2 - © 2015 American Chemical Society. The optoelectronic tunability offered by colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) is attractive for photovoltaic applications but demands proper band alignment at electrodes for efficient charge extraction at minimal cost to voltage. With this goal in mind, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) can be used to modify interface energy levels locally. However, to be effective SAMs must be made robust to treatment using the various solvents and ligands required for to fabricate high quality CQD solids. We report robust self-assembled monolayers (R-SAMs) that enable us to increase the efficiency of CQD photovoltaics. Only by developing a process for secure anchoring of aromatic SAMs, aided by deposition of the SAMs in a water-free deposition environment, were we able to provide an interface modification that was robust against the ensuing chemical treatments needed in the fabrication of CQD solids. The energy alignment at the rectifying interface was tailored by tuning the R-SAM for optimal alignment relative to the CQD quantum-confined electron energy levels. This resulted in a CQD PV record power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.7% with enhanced reproducibility relative to controls.

AB - © 2015 American Chemical Society. The optoelectronic tunability offered by colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) is attractive for photovoltaic applications but demands proper band alignment at electrodes for efficient charge extraction at minimal cost to voltage. With this goal in mind, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) can be used to modify interface energy levels locally. However, to be effective SAMs must be made robust to treatment using the various solvents and ligands required for to fabricate high quality CQD solids. We report robust self-assembled monolayers (R-SAMs) that enable us to increase the efficiency of CQD photovoltaics. Only by developing a process for secure anchoring of aromatic SAMs, aided by deposition of the SAMs in a water-free deposition environment, were we able to provide an interface modification that was robust against the ensuing chemical treatments needed in the fabrication of CQD solids. The energy alignment at the rectifying interface was tailored by tuning the R-SAM for optimal alignment relative to the CQD quantum-confined electron energy levels. This resulted in a CQD PV record power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.7% with enhanced reproducibility relative to controls.

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U2 - 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b03677

DO - 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b03677

M3 - Article

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SN - 1530-6984

VL - 15

SP - 7691

EP - 7696

JO - Nano Letters

JF - Nano Letters

IS - 11

ER -

High-Efficiency Colloidal Quantum Dot Photovoltaics via Robust Self-Assembled Monolayers

Abstract

Bibliographical note

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