Huiqiong Zhou

High‐Efficiency Polymer Solar Cells Enhanced by Solvent Treatment

A significant enhancement of efficiency in thieno[3,4-b]-thiophene/benzodithiophene:[6,6]-phenyl C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PTB7:PC70 BM) solar cells can be achieved by methanol treatment. The effects of methanol treatment are shown in an improvement of built-in voltage, a decrease in series resistance, an enhanced charge-transport property, an accelerated and enlarged charge extraction, and a reduced charge recombination, which induce a simultaneous enhancement in open-circuit voltage (Voc), short-circuit current (Jsc), and fill factor (FF) in the devices.

Polymer Homo‐Tandem Solar Cells with Best Efficiency of 11.3%

Rational materials design and interface engineering are both essential to realize a high performance for tandem cells. Two identical bulk heterojunctions are connected in series using novel interconnection layers combining pH-neutral conjugated polyelectrolytes and a thin film of ZnO nanoparticles by a solution process. The best performing tandem cells achieve a power conversion efficiency of 11.3%, with 25% enhancement in efficiency compared with single cells, which arises primarily from the increased light absorption.

Conductive Conjugated Polyelectrolyte as Hole-Transporting Layer for Organic Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) has been extensively used as the hole-transporting layer (HTL) in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells, however, its anisotropic electrical conduction and intrinsic acidic nature generally limit the device performance. Here we demonstrate the application of a water/alcohol soluble CPE (CPE-K) as HTLs in BHJ solar cells, achieving a PCE up to 8.2%. The more superior and uniform vertical electrical conductivity found in CPE-K reduces the series resistance and provides efficient hole extraction.

Molecular doping enhances photoconductivity in polymer bulk heterojunction solar cells

Addition of low concentrations (<1:100, dopant:donor) of a fluorinated p-type dopant, F4-TCNQ leads to a considerable enhancement of the photocurrent in PCDTBT:PC70 BM bulk heterojunction solar cells. As a result, the power conversion efficiency increases from 6.41% to 7.94 %.

Facile Doping of Anionic Narrow-Band-Gap Conjugated Polyelectrolytes During Dialysis†

PCPDTBTSO3 K, an anionic, narrow-band-gap conjugated polyelectrolyte, was found to be doped after dialysis. The proposed doping mechanism involves protonation of the polymer backbone, followed by electron transfer from a neutral chain, to generate radical cations, which are stabilized by the pendant sulfonate anions. Formation of polarons is supported by spectroscopy and electrical-conductivity measurements.

Solution-processed pH-neutral conjugated polyelectrolyte improves interfacial contact in organic solar cells.

The intrinsic acidic nature of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) hole-transporting layer (HTL) induces interfacial protonation and limits the device performance in organic solar cells based on basic pyridylthiadiazole units. By utilizing a pH neutral, water/alcohol soluble conjugated polyelectrolyte CPE-K as the HTL in p-DTS(PTTh2)2:PC71BM solar cells, a 60% enhancement in PCE has been obtained with an increased V(bi), reduced R(s), and improved charge extraction. These effects originate from the elimination of interfacial protonation and energy barrier compared with the PEDOT:PSS HTL.

Enhancement of the Photoresponse in Organic Field-Effect Transistors by Incorporating Thin DNA Layers**

A mechanistic study of the DNA interfacial layer that enhances the photoresponse in n-type field-effect transistors (FET) and lateral photoconductors using a solution-processed fullerene derivative embedded with disperse-red dye, namely PCBDR, is reported. Incorporation of the thin DNA layer simultaneously leads to increasing the electron injection from non-Ohmic contacts into the PCBDR active layer in dark and to increasing the photocurrent under irradiation. Such features lead to the observation of the enhancement of the photoresponsivity in PCBDR FETs up to 10(3) . Kelvin probe microscopy displays that in the presence of the DNA layer, the surface potential of PCBDR has a greater change in response to irradiation, which is rationalized by a larger number of photoinduced surface carriers. Transient absorption spectroscopy confirms that the increase in photoinduced carriers in PCBDR under irradiation is primarily ascribed to the increase in exciton dissociation rates through the PCBDR/DNA interface and this process can be assisted by the interfacial dipole interaction.

Solution‐Based In Situ Synthesis and Fabrication of Ultrasensitive CdSe Photoconductors

Solution-based semiconductor fabrication offers a low cost route for mass-producing optoelectronic devices. [ 1–3 ] Here, we present a simplifi ed solution-based in situ synthesis and fabrication method demonstrated for CdSe fi lms, where both the quantum dot synthesis and sintering occur simultaneously on a substrate in ambient atmosphere. The CdSe fi lms fabricated using this method exhibit high photoconductive gain and a relatively large signal bandwidth, stemming from a large photogenerated carrier mobility–lifetime ( μ τ ) product. We present a structural characterization of the CdSe fi lms, results of photoconductivity studies, and an analysis connecting the structural properties of the fi lm with the high photoconductive response. Our structural characterization indicates a high degree of crystalline order that results in a relatively large carrier mobility, and the temperature-dependent transient photoconductivity data suggest that sensitizing traps are responsible for the extended carrier lifetime. Photoconductive devices comprising inorganic quantum dots (QDs) have been developed extensively in recent years. [ 1 , 4–11 ]

Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Detection of Bioaffinity Reactions by Vertically Oriented Au Nanobranches Complexed with a Biotinylated Polythiophene Derivative

Four nanostructured Au electrodes were prepared by a simple and templateless electrochemical deposition technique. After complexing with a biotinylated polythiophene derivative (PTBL), photocurrent generation and performance of PTBL/Au-nanostructured electrodes as photoelectrochemical biosensors were investigated. Among these four nanostructured Au electrodes, vertically oriented nanobranches on the electrode significantly improved the photoelectric conversion, because the vertically oriented nanostructures not only benefit light harvesting but also the transfer of the photogenerated charge carriers. Owing to this advantaged nanostructure, the PTBL/Au-nanobranch electrode showed higher sensitivity and faster response times in the photoelectrochemical detection of a streptavidin-biotin affinity reaction compared to a PTBL/Au-nanoparticle electrode.

Temperature Tunable Self-Doping in Stable Diradicaloid Thin-Film Devices.

FDT and FDT-Br diradicaloids with stable coexisting close-shell and open-shell forms exhibit unconventional self-doping behavior in solid-state electronic devices that is temperature (T) tunable and reversible. The doping is strengthened by the increased T, leading to the absence of off-states (I(off)) in the transistors.