Jens Wenzel Andreasen

Semi-metallic polymers

Polymers are lightweight, flexible, solution-processable materials that are promising for low-cost printed electronics as well as for mass-produced and large-area applications. Previous studies demonstrated that they can possess insulating, semiconducting or metallic properties; here we report that polymers can also be semi-metallic. Semi-metals, exemplified by bismuth, graphite and telluride alloys, have no energy bandgap and a very low density of states at the Fermi level. Furthermore, they typically have a higher Seebeck coefficient and lower thermal conductivities compared with metals, thus being suitable for thermoelectric applications. We measure the thermoelectric properties of various poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) samples, and observe a marked increase in the Seebeck coefficient when the electrical conductivity is enhanced through molecular organization. This initiates the transition from a Fermi glass to a semi-metal. The high Seebeck value, the metallic conductivity at room temperature and the absence of unpaired electron spins makes polymer semi-metals attractive for thermoelectrics and spintronics.

Scalable, ambient atmosphere roll-to-roll manufacture of encapsulated large area, flexible organic tandem solar cell modules

Inline printing and coating methods have been demonstrated to enable a high technical yield of fully roll-to-roll processed polymer tandem solar cell modules. We demonstrate generality by employing different material sets and also describe how the ink systems must be carefully co-developed in order to reach the ambitious objective of a fully printed and coated 14-layer flexible tandem solar cell stack. The roll-to-roll methodologies involved are flexographic printing, rotary screen printing, slot-die coating, X-ray scattering, electrical testing and UV-lamination. Their combination enables the manufacture of completely functional devices in exceptionally high yields. Critical to the ink and process development is a carefully chosen technology transfer to industry method where first a roll coater is employed enabling contactless stack build up, followed by a small roll-to-roll coater fitted to an X-ray machine enabling in situ studies of wet ink deposition and drying mechanisms, ultimately elucidating how a robust inline processed recombination layer is key to a high technical yield. Finally, the transfer to full roll-to-roll processing is demonstrated.

Structure–property relationships of oligothiophene–isoindigo polymers for efficient bulk-heterojunction solar cells

A series of alternating oligothiophene (nT)–isoindigo (I) copolymers (PnTI) were synthesized to investigate the influence of the oligothiophene block length on the photovoltaic (PV) properties of PnTI:PCBM bulk-heterojunction blends. Our study indicates that the number of thiophene rings (n) in the repeating unit alters both polymer crystallinity and polymer–fullerene interfacial energetics, which results in a decreasing open-circuit voltage (Voc) of the solar cells with increasing n. The short-circuit current density (Jsc) of P1TI:PCBM devices is limited by the absence of a significant driving force for electron transfer. Instead, blends based on P5TI and P6TI feature large polymer domains, which limit charge generation and thus Jsc. The best PV performance with a power conversion efficiency of up to 6.9% was achieved with devices based on P3TI, where a combination of a favorable morphology and an optimal interfacial energy level offset ensures efficient exciton separation and charge generation. The structure–property relationship demonstrated in this work would be a valuable guideline for the design of high performance polymers with small energy losses during the charge generation process, allowing for the fabrication of efficient solar cells that combine a minimal loss in Voc with a high Jsc.

Significant Electronic Thermal Transport in the Conducting Polymer Poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene)

Suspended microdevices are employed to measure the in-plane electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and Seebeck coefficient of suspended poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) thin films. The measured thermal conductivity is higher than previously reported for PEDOT and generally increases with the electrical conductivity. The increase exceeds that predicted by the Wiedemann-Franz law for metals and can be explained by significant electronic thermal transport in PEDOT.

Detrimental Effect of Inert Atmospheres on Hybrid Solar Cells Based on Semiconductor Oxides

We report the improvement observed in J sc , V oc , and current-voltage (1-V) curves when hybrid solar cells (HSCs) are transferred from inert conditions to ambient atmosphere. The effect is observed regardless of the semiconductor oxide applied and has been attributed to the reversible incorporation of oxygen from the atmosphere into the semiconductor oxide surface during illumination. The HSCs were prepared as bilayers of thin-film semiconductor oxides (TiO 2 , Nb 2 O 5 , and ZnO) made by the sol-gel technique and the polymer poly[(2-methoxy-5-ethylhexyloxy)-l,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV), applying a final device configuration of the type indium tin oxide/oxide thin film /MEH-PPV/Ag. The photovoltaic response was studied in terms of inert atmosphere by recording the initial values of open-circuit voltage (V oc ) and current density (J sc ). Solar decay curves, I-V curves, the effect of filter and resting time, as well as photophysical analyses were also carried out for each type of device.

Roll-to-Roll Processing of Inverted Polymer Solar Cells using Hydrated Vanadium(V)Oxide as a PEDOT:PSS Replacement

The use of hydrated vanadium(V)oxide as a replacement of the commonly employed hole transporting material PEDOT:PSS was explored in this work. Polymer solar cells were prepared by spin coating on glass. Polymer solar cells and modules comprising 16 serially connected cells were prepared using full roll-to-roll (R2R) processing of all layers. The devices were prepared on flexible polyethyleneterphthalate (PET) and had the structure PET/ITO/ZnO/P3HT:PCBM/V2O5·(H2O)n/Ag. The ITO and silver electrodes were processed and patterned by use of screen printing. The zinc oxide, P3HT:PCBM and vanadium(V)oxide layers were processed by slot-die coating. The hydrated vanadium(V)oxide layer was slot-die coated using an isopropanol solution of vanadyl-triisopropoxide (VTIP). Coating experiments were carried out to establish the critical thickness of the hydrated vanadium(V)oxide layer by varying the concentration of the VTIP precursor over two orders of magnitude. Hydrated vanadium(V)oxide layers were characterized by profilometry, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and grazing incidence wide angle X-ray scattering. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) for completed modules was up to 0.18%, in contrast to single cells where efficiencies of 0.4% were achieved. Stability tests under indoor and outdoor conditions were accomplished over three weeks on a solar tracker.

Probing the Relation Between Charge Transport and Supramolecular Organization Down to Ångström Resolution in a Benzothiadiazole‐Cyclopentadithiophene Copolymer

Molecular modeling shows that longitudinal displacement of the backbones by a couple of ångströms has a profound impact on the electronic coupling mediating charge transport in a conjugated copolymer. These changes can be probed by monitoring the calculated X-ray scattering patterns and NMR chemical shifts as a function of sliding of the polymer chains and comparing them to experiment.

An Organic Mixed Ion–Electron Conductor for Power Electronics

A mixed ionic–electronic conductor based on nanofibrillated cellulose composited with poly(3,4‐ethylene‐dioxythiophene):poly(styrene‐sulfonate) along with high boiling point solvents is demonstrated in bulky electrochemical devices. The high electronic and ionic conductivities of the resulting nanopaper are exploited in devices which exhibit record values for the charge storage capacitance (1F) in supercapacitors and transconductance (1S) in electrochemical transistors.

Enhancement of the chemical stability in confined [delta]-Bi2O3

Bismuth-oxide-based materials are the building blocks for modern ferroelectrics, multiferroics, gas sensors, light photocatalysts and fuel cells. Although the cubic fluorite δ-phase of bismuth oxide (δ-Bi2O3) exhibits the highest conductivity of known solid-state oxygen ion conductors, its instability prevents use at low temperature. Here we demonstrate the possibility of stabilizing δ-Bi2O3 using highly coherent interfaces of alternating layers of Er2O3-stabilized δ-Bi2O3 and Gd2O3-doped CeO2. Remarkably, an exceptionally high chemical stability in reducing conditions and redox cycles at high temperature, usually unattainable for Bi2O3-based materials, is achieved. Even more interestingly, at low oxygen partial pressure the layered material shows anomalous high conductivity, equal or superior to pure δ-Bi2O3 in air. This suggests a strategy to design and stabilize new materials that are comprised of intrinsically unstable but high-performing component materials.

Acido-basic control of the thermoelectric properties of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)tosylate (PEDOT-Tos) thin films

PEDOT-Tos is one of the conducting polymers that displays the most promising thermoelectric properties.