| 1. |
- George, Zandra, 1985, et al.
(författare)
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Improved performance and life time of inverted organic photovoltaics by using polymer interfacial materials
- 2015
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Ingår i: Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells. - : Elsevier BV. - 0927-0248. ; 133, s. 99-104
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A previously published fluorene based interlayer polymer is here compared to three similar polymers where the fluorene monomer has been exchanged with monomers that have been reported to have a higher photo-chemical stability. The polymer interlayers have been studied in terms of their influence on device performance and stability on inverted devices with an active layer of P3HT:PC61BM. By acting as a hole-blocking layer the polymers are able to increase the efficiency of the devices with similar to 50% compared to devices with an ITO cathode. In addition, the polymers also improve the photo-stability of the devices, mainly as an effect of a reduced decrease in open-circuit voltage and fill factor. This indicates that solution processable polymer interlayers could be a way towards both higher efficiency and improved stability of inverted organic solar cells.
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| 2. |
- George, Zandra, 1985, et al.
(författare)
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Two-in-one : Cathode modification and improved solar cell blend stability through addition of modified fullerenes
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Materials Chemistry A. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 2050-7488 .- 2050-7496. ; 4:7, s. 2663-2669
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The synthesis of dual purpose modified fullerenes with pyridine-as well as amine-functional groups is reported. Addition of these fullerenes to a polymer : fullerene bulk-heterojunction blend based on a thiophene-quinoxaline donor polymer is found to modify the active layer/cathode interface of inverted solar cells (glass/ITO/active layer/MoO3/Al). In particular the open-circuit voltage of devices is increased from 0.1 V to about 0.7 V, which results in a drastic rise in photovoltaic performance with a power conversion efficiency of up to 3%. At the same time, presence of the functionalised fullerene additives prevents the detrimental formation of micrometre-sized fullerene crystals upon annealing at 140 degrees C. As a result, the device performance is retained, which promises significantly increased thermal stability of the bulk-heterojunction blend nanostructure.
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| 3. |
- Henriksson, Patrik, 1983, et al.
(författare)
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Stability study of quinoxaline and pyrido pyrazine based co-polymers for solar cell applications
- 2014
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Ingår i: Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells. - : Elsevier BV. - 0927-0248 .- 1879-3398. ; 130, s. 138-143
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present two co-polymer families; one based on a thiophene-quinoxaline unit and one on a thiophene-pyrido pyrazine unit. Co-polymerization of these monomers with thiophene-hexylthiophene was performed to create polymers with an optical absorption that fully covers the visible part of the solar spectrum with the aim to enhance the solar cell performances of these polymers. We have also studied how increasing the fraction of thiophene-hexylthiophene affects the photo-oxidative stability of these polymers. Thiophene-pyrido pyrazine solar cells displayed increased device efficiency upon addition of the thiophene-hexylthiophene and, in addition, the stability is retained upon inclusion of these units. In contrast, we found that for the thiophene-quinoxaline based co-polymer, both device efficiency and stability decreased with increasing thiophene-hexylthiophene fraction. Moreover, our results indicate that the photo-oxidative stability of the thiophene-quinoxaline co-polymer is independent of the polymer molecular weight as well as of the film thickness.
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| 4. |
- Bergqvist, J., et al.
(författare)
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Sub-glass transition annealing enhances polymer solar cell performance
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Materials Chemistry A. - 2050-7488 .- 2050-7496. ; 2:17, s. 6146-6152
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Thermal annealing of non-crystalline polymer:fullerene blends typically results in a drastic decrease in solar cell performance. In particular aggressive annealing above the glass transition temperature results in a detrimental coarsening of the blend nanostructure. We demonstrate that mild annealing below the glass transition temperature is a viable avenue to control the nanostructure of a non-crystalline thiophene–quinoxaline copolymer:fullerene blend. Direct imaging methods indicate that coarsening of the blend nanostructure can be avoided. However, a combination of absorption and luminescence spectroscopy reveals that local changes in the polymer conformation as well as limited fullerene aggregation are permitted to occur. As a result, we are able to optimise the solar cell performance evenly across different positions of the coated area, which is a necessary criterion for large-scale, high throughput production.
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| 5. |
- Bäcke, Olof, 1984, et al.
(författare)
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Enhanced thermal stability of a polymer solar cell blend induced by electron beam irradiation in the transmission electron microscope
- 2017
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Ingår i: Ultramicroscopy. - : Elsevier BV. - 1879-2723 .- 0304-3991. ; 173, s. 16-23
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We show by in situ microscopy that the effects of electron beam irradiation during transmission electron microscopy can be used to lock microstructural features and enhance the structural thermal stability of a nanostructured polymer:fullerene blend. Polymer:fullerene bulk-heterojunction thin films show great promise for use as active layers in organic solar cells but their low thermal stability is a hindrance. Lack of thermal stability complicates manufacturing and influences the lifetime of devices. To investigate how electron irradiation affects the thermal stability of polymer:fullerene films, a model bulk-heterojunction film based on a thiophene-quinoxaline copolymer and a fullerene derivative was heat-treated in-situ in a transmission electron microscope. In areas of the film that exposed to the electron beam the nanostructure of the film remained stable, while the nanostructure in areas not exposed to the electron beam underwent large phase separation and nucleation of fullerene crystals. UV–vis spectroscopy shows that the polymer:fullerene films are stable for electron doses up to 2000 kGy.
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| 6. |
- Bäcke, Olof, 1984, et al.
(författare)
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Enhanced thermal stability of a polymer solar cell blend induced by electron beam irradiation in the transmission electron microscope
- 2017
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Ingår i: Ultramicroscopy. - : Elsevier BV. - 1879-2723 .- 0304-3991. ; 176:Spec. Issue, s. 23-30
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We show by in situ microscopy that the effects of electron beam irradiation during transmission electron microscopy can be used to lock microstructural features and enhance the structural thermal stability of a nanostructured polymer:fullerene blend. Polymer:fullerene bulk-heterojunction thin films show great promise for use as active layers in organic solar cells but their low thermal stability is a hindrance. Lack of thermal stability complicates manufacturing and influences the lifetime of devices. To investigate how electron irradiation affects the thermal stability of polymer:fullerene films, a model bulk-heterojunction film based on a thiophene-quinoxaline copolymer and a fullerene derivative was heat-treated in-situ in a transmission electron microscope. In areas of the film that exposed to the electron beam the nanostructure of the film remained stable, while the nanostructure in areas not exposed to the electron beam underwent large phase separation and nucleation of fullerene crystals. UV–vis spectroscopy shows that the polymer:fullerene films are stable for electron doses up to 2000 kGy.
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| 7. |
- Bäcke, Olof, 1984, et al.
(författare)
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Mapping fullerene crystallization in a photovoltaic blend: an electron tomography study
- 2015
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Ingår i: Nanoscale. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 2040-3372 .- 2040-3364. ; 7:18, s. 8451-8456
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The formation of fullerene crystals represents a major degradation pathway of polymer/fullerene bulk-heterojunction thin films that inexorably deteriorates their photovoltaic performance. Currently no tools exist that reveal the origin of fullerene crystal formation vertically through the film. Here, we show that electron tomography can be used to study nucleation and growth of fullerene crystals. A model bulk-heterojunction blend based on a thiophene-quinoxaline copolymer and a fullerene derivative is examined after controlled annealing above the glass transition temperature. We image a number of fullerene nanocrystals, ranging in size from 70 to 400 nanometers, and observe that their center is located close to the free-surface of spin-coated films. The results show that the nucleation of fullerene crystals predominately occurs in the upper part of the films. Moreover, electron tomography reveals that the nucleation is preceded by more pronounced phase separation of the blend components.
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| 8. |
- Diaz de Zerio Mendaza, Amaia, 1986, et al.
(författare)
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Neat C60:C70 buckminsterfullerene mixtures enhance polymer solar cell performance
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Materials Chemistry A. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 2050-7488 .- 2050-7496. ; 2:35, s. 14354-14359
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We demonstrate that bulk-heterojunction blends based on neat, unsubstituted buckminsterfullerenes (C60, C70) and a thiophene–quinoxaline copolymer (TQ1) can be readily processed from solution. Atomic force and transmission electron microscopy as well as photoluminescence spectroscopy reveal that thin films with a fine-grained nanostructure can be spin-coated, which display a good photovoltaic performance. Replacement of substituted fullerenes with C60 or C70 only results in a small drop in open-circuit voltage from 0.9 V to about 0.8 V. Thus, a power conversion efficiency of up to 2.9% can be maintained if C70 is used as the acceptor material. Further improvement in photovoltaic performance to 3.6% is achieved, accompanied by a high internal quantum efficiency of 75%, if a 1 : 1 C60:C70 mixture is used as the acceptor material, due to its improved solubility in ortho-dichlorobenzene.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Hansson, Rickard, 1987-, et al.
(författare)
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Photo-degradation in air of the active layer components in a thiophene-quinoxaline copolymer: fullerene solar cell
- 2016
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Ingår i: Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1463-9084 .- 1463-9076. ; 18:16, s. 11132-11138
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We have studied the photo-degradation in air of a blend of [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) and poly[2,3-bis-(3-octyloxyphenyl)quinoxaline-5,8-diyl-alt-thiophene-2,5-di yl] (TQ1), and how the photo-degradation affects the solar cell performance. Using near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy, changes to the electronic structure of TQ1 and PCBM caused by illumination in ambient air are investigated and compared between the pristine materials and the blend. The NEXAFS spectra show that the unoccupied molecular orbitals of TQ1 are not significantly changed by the exposure of pristine TQ1 to light in air, whereas those of PCBM are severely affected as a result of photo-induced degradation of PCBM. Furthermore, the photo-degradation of PCBM is accelerated by blending it with TQ1. While the NEXAFS spectrum of TQ1 remains unchanged upon illumination in air, its valence band spectrum shows that the occupied molecular orbitals are weakly affected. Yet, UV-Vis absorption spectra demonstrate photo-bleaching of TQ1, which is attenuated in the presence of PCBM in blend films. Illumination of the active layer of TQ1: PCBM solar cells prior to cathode deposition causes severe losses in electrical performance.
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| 11. |
- Kroon, Renee, 1982, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of electron-withdrawing side chain modifications on the optical properties of thiophene-quinoxaline acceptor based polymers
- 2013
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Ingår i: Polymer. - : Elsevier BV. - 0032-3861. ; 54:4, s. 1285-1288
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Four new thiophene-quinoxaline acceptor based polymers have been synthesized. The parent thiophene-quinoxaline acceptor based copolymer was modified by introducing different electron-withdrawing groups adjacent to the thiophene side group. The effect on the physical, electrochemical and optical properties of the polymer series is discussed with respect to the parent thiophene-quinoxaline acceptor based polymer. The side chain carbonyl from one modified monomer could conveniently be transformed to either a difluoromethylene or an -ylidene malononitrile group via carbonyl transformations. For all polymers incorporating an electron-withdrawing side group both the HOMO and especially the LUMO were significantly shifted away from vacuum while all exhibit enhanced light harvesting ability. Especially the incorporation of an -ylidine malononitrile side group increases both the spectral coverage and absorption coefficient. Incorporation of a difluoromethylene side group resulted in a twofold increase of the molecular weight compared to the parent polymer structure.
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| 12. |
- Lindqvist, Camilla, 1985, et al.
(författare)
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Facile Monitoring of Fullerene Crystallization in Polymer Solar Cell Blends by UV–vis Spectroscopy
- 2014
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Ingår i: Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics. - : Wiley. - 1022-1352 .- 1521-3935. ; 215:6, s. 530-535
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A simple technique is demonstrated based on UV–vis spectroscopy that permits the onset of fullerene crystallization to be monitored in polymer:fullerene bulk-heterojunction blends. The growth of fullerene crystals only occurs during thermal annealing above the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the blend. Light scattering due to the presence of micrometer-sized fullerene crystals reduces the apparent transmittance, which can serve as a clear indicator for the upper limit of the Tg. This principle is used to deduce this critical parameter for two high-performance photovoltaic blends that are based on a thiophene–quinoxaline and a thiophene–isoindigo copolymer, respectively. High Tgs of 115 and 145 °C promise good thermal stability.
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| 13. |
- Lindqvist, Camilla, 1985, et al.
(författare)
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Fullerene Nucleating Agents: A Route Towards Thermally Stable Photovoltaic Blends
- 2014
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Ingår i: Advanced Energy Materials. - : Wiley. - 1614-6840 .- 1614-6832. ; 4:9, s. 1301437-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The bulk-heterojunction nanostructure of non-crystalline polymer: fullerene blends has the tendency to rapidly coarsen when heated above its glass transition temperature, which represents an important degradation mechanism. We demonstrate that fullerene nucleating agents can be used to thermally arrest the nanostructure of photovoltaic blends that comprise a non-crystalline thiophene-quinoxaline copolymer and the widely used fullerene derivative [6,6]-phenyl-C-61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). To this end, C-60 fullerene is employed to efficiently nucleate PCBM crystallization. Sub-micrometer-sized fullerene crystals are formed when as little as 2 wt% C-60 with respect to PCBM is added to the blend. These reach an average size of only 200 nanometers upon introduction of more than 8 wt% C-60. Solar cells based on C-60-nucleated blends indicate significantly improved thermal stability of the bulk-heterojunction nanostructure even after annealing at an elevated temperature of 130 degrees C, which lies above the glass transition temperature of the blend. Moreover, we find that various other compounds, including C-70 fullerene, single-walled carbon nanotubes, and sodium benzoate, as well as a number of commercial nucleating agents-commonly used to clarify isotactic polypropylene-permit to control crystallization of the fullerene phase.
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| 14. |
- Lindqvist, Camilla, 1985, et al.
(författare)
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Nucleation-limited fullerene crystallisation in a polymer–fullerene bulk-heterojunction blend
- 2013
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Ingår i: Journal of Materials Chemistry A. - 2050-7488 .- 2050-7496. ; 1:24, s. 7174-7180
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The nucleation and growth kinetics of fullerene crystals in thin films of a polymer:fullerene bulk-heterojunction blend are investigated. We find that both processes are strongly diffusion-limited at 100–110 °C due to the proximity to the glass transition temperatures of the blend components. Whereas the growth rate exponentially increases with temperature up to 230 °C, the nucleation rate displays a broad maximum around 150–170 °C, which coincides with the highest rate of fullerene crystallisation. A time-temperature-transformation (TTT) diagram reveals that across the investigated range of temperatures the low rate of nucleation is responsible for the formation of micrometre-sized crystals, which can be detrimental for polymer solar cells. Thus, we identify the lack of sufficient nucleation, which predominantly occurs on the substrate interface, as the origin of this important degradation mechanism.
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| 15. |
- Lindqvist, Camilla, 1985
(författare)
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Stability of Bulk-heterojunction blends for Solar Cell Applications
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Polymer solar cells are a promising alternative to more traditional silicon solar cells. This is mainly due to the good solubility of organic semiconductors, which makes it possible to produce large-scale and mechanically flexible devices with roll-to-roll processes. To be able to fully utilise this promising technique the stability of the materials, used in these devices, must be guaranteed. The focus of this thesis is the stability of the active layers of polymer solar cells. Both, bleaching due to photo-oxidative degradation and thermal stability of the nanostructure have been studied. The presented work is mostly based on blends of a thiophene-quinoxaline based polymer (TQ1) and fullerene derivatives (PCBM).The first part of the thesis deals with the photo-oxidative stability of TQ1 and a pyrido pyrazine based polymer (TQN). To make those polymers more black they were co-polymerised with thiophene-hexylthiophene. The stability of TQN is shown to be un-effected by this incorporation whereas the stability of TQ1 decreased. Moreover, the degradation rate of TQ1 seems to be independent of both molecular weight and film thickness.The stability of the nanostructure has been studied with various microscopy and spectroscopy methods. Below the glass transition temperature of the TQ1:PC61BM blend only local rearrangement of polymer chains is possible. This mild annealing is found to increase the device efficiency. In contrast, annealing at higher temperatures above the glass transition temperature led to a coarser nanostructure and formation of PCBM crystals, which was detrimental for the performance of corresponding solar cells. Finally, this thesis demonstrates that the thermal stability of these blends can be significantly improved by inclusion of neat C60-fullerene as well as the use of a mixture of two fullerene derivatives as the acceptor material.
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| 16. |
- Nugroho, Ferry, 1986, et al.
(författare)
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Plasmonic Nanospectroscopy for Thermal Analysis of Organic Semiconductor Thin Films
- 2017
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Ingår i: Analytical Chemistry. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0003-2700 .- 1520-6882. ; 89:4, s. 2575-2582
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Organic semiconductors are key materials for the next generation of thin film electronic devices like field-effect transistors, light-emitting diodes and solar cells. Accurate thermal analysis is essential for the fundamental understanding of these materials, for device design, stability studies and quality control because desired nanostructures are often far from thermodynamic equilibrium and therefore tend to evolve with time and temperature. However, classical experimental techniques are insufficient because the active layer of most organoelectronic device architectures is typically only on the order of hundred nanometers or less. Scrutinizing the thermal properties in this size range is, however, critical because strong deviations of the thermal properties from bulk values due to confinement effects, and due to pronounced influence of the substrate become significant. Here, we introduce plasmonic nanospectroscopy as an experimental approach to scrutinize the thickness dependence of the thermal stability of semi-crystalline, liquid-crystalline and glassy organic semiconductor thin films down to the sub-100 nm film thickness regime. As the main result we find a pronounced thickness dependence of the glass transition temperature of ternary polymer:fullerene blend thin films, and their constituents, which can be resolved with exceptional precision by the plasmonic nanospectroscopy method, that relies on remarkably simple instrumentation.
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