Nano-engineered Nanotube Networks for Enhanced Vertical Charge Transport at Ultralow Nanotube Loading in a P3HT Nanocomposite Film

• Due to their exceptional charge transport properties, single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are expected to enhance the performance of organic based photovoltaic (PV) solar cells through an ultrafast charge transfer process when placed in contact with a semiconducting organic interface such as poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT)1. However, in order to produce efficient charge transport through the active layer, a percolated network of interconnected tubes must be formed. Typical methods (e.g. spin-coating, drop-casting) do not form an efficient pathway for charges, and they often result in randomly organized networks and nanotube aggregates which have been shown to lower conductivity2,3. Here, we present a new concept where nanoscale nano-engineered SWNT networks are formed in a composite film made of >90% semi-conducting nanotubes in a P3HT matrix.4 These nanoscale networks result in several orders of magnitude increase in charge transport through the composite layer made of P3HT, and compared to an identical composite film simply spun or drop-cast. These nano-networks also result in a strong effective decrease of the percolation threshold, thereby offering the possibility to use much lower amounts of nanotubes in devices. We discuss these results and the mechanisms of charge transport enhancement.Stranks, S. D. ; Weisspfennig, C.; Parkinson, P.; Johnston, M. B. ; Herz, L. M. ; Nicholas, R. J.  Nano Lett. 2011, 11(1), 66–72.Nirmalraj, P. N. ; Lyons, P. E. ; Coleman, J. N. ; Boland, J. J. Nano Lett. 2009, 9(11), 3890–3895.Kymakis, E.; Amaratunga, G. A. J.  J. Appl. Phys. 2006, 99 (8), 084302.Barbero, D. R. ; Boulanger, N.; Ramstedt; M., Yu, J. , Advanced Materials 2014, 21, 3111.

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Nanoteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Nano-technology (hsv//eng)

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