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Author |
Ben Dkhil, S.; Perkhun, P.; Luo, C.; Mueller, D.; Alkarsifi, R.; Barulina, E.; Quiroz, Y.A.A.; Margeat, O.; Dubas, S.T.; Koganezawa, T.; Kuzuhara, D.; Yoshimoto, N.; Caddeo, C.; Mattoni, A.; Zimmermann, B.; Wuerfel, U.; Pfannmöller, M.; Bals, S.; Ackermann, J.; Videlot-Ackermann, C. |
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Title |
Direct correlation of nanoscale morphology and device performance to study photocurrent generation in donor-enriched phases of polymer solar cells |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year  |
2020 |
Publication |
Acs Applied Materials & Interfaces |
Abbreviated Journal |
Acs Appl Mater Inter |
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Volume |
12 |
Issue |
25 |
Pages |
28404-28415 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
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Abstract |
The nanoscale morphology of polymer blends is a key parameter to reach high efficiency in bulk heterojunction solar cells. Thereby, research typically focusing on optimal blend morphologies while studying nonoptimized blends may give insight into blend designs that can prove more robust against morphology defects. Here, we focus on the direct correlation of morphology and device performance of thieno[3,4-b]-thiophene-alt-benzodithiophene (PTB7):[6,6]phenyl C-71 butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) bulk heterojunction (BHJ) blends processed without additives in different donor/acceptor weight ratios. We show that while blends of a 1:1.5 ratio are composed of large donor-enriched and fullerene domains beyond the exciton diffusion length, reducing the ratio below 1:0.5 leads to blends composed purely of polymer-enriched domains. Importantly, the photocurrent density in such blends can reach values between 45 and 60% of those reached for fully optimized blends using additives. We provide here direct visual evidence that fullerenes in the donor-enriched domains are not distributed homogeneously but fluctuate locally. To this end, we performed compositional nanoscale morphology analysis of the blend using spectroscopic imaging of low-energy-loss electrons using a transmission electron microscope. Charge transport measurement in combination with molecular dynamics simulations shows that the fullerene substructures inside the polymer phase generate efficient electron transport in the polymer-enriched phase. Furthermore, we show that the formation of densely packed regions of fullerene inside the polymer phase is driven by the PTB7:PC71BM enthalpy of mixing. The occurrence of such a nanoscale network of fullerene clusters leads to a reduction of electron trap states and thus efficient extraction of photocurrent inside the polymer domain. Suitable tuning of the polymer-acceptor interaction can thus introduce acceptor subnetworks in polymer-enriched phases, improving the tolerance for high-efficiency BHJ toward morphological defects such as donor-enriched domains exceeding the exciton diffusion length. |
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Wos |
000543780900058 |
Publication Date |
2020-06-01 |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
1944-8244 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
9.5 |
Times cited |
7 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
; J.A., O.M., and C.V.-A. acknowledge financial support by the French Fond Unique Interministeriel (FUI) under the project “SFUMATO” (Grant Number: F1110019V/ 201308815) as well as by the European Commission under the Project “SUNFLOWER” (FP7-ICT-2011-7, Grant Number: 287594). J.A., C.V.-A., and E.B. acknowledge the Association Nationale de la Recherche et de la Technologie (ANRT) and the Ministere de l'Enseignement Superieur, de la Recherche et de l'Innovation, awarded through the company Dracula Technologies (Valence, France), for framework of a CIFRE Ph.D. grant 2017/0529. J.A. and P.P. received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Grant agreement no. 713750. They further acknowledge support of the Regional Council of Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, A*MIDEX (no. ANR-11-IDEX-0001-02), and the Investissements d'Avenir project funded by the French Government, managed by the French National Research Agency (ANR). J.A. and Y.A.A.Q. acknowledge the French Research Agency for funding through the project NFA-15 (ANR-17-CE05-0020-01). N.Y. acknowledges that the synchrotron radiation experiments were performed at BL19B2 in SPring-8 with the approval of Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI) (proposal nos. 2017B1629 and 2018B1791). S.B. acknowledges financial support from the European Research Council (ERC Consolidator Grant 815128-REALNANO) and from FWO (G.0381.16N). M.P. gratefully acknowledges funding by the Ministerium fur Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst Baden-Wurttemberg through the HEiKA materials research centre FunTECH-3D (MWK, 33-753-30-20/3/3) and the Large-Scale-Data-Facility (LSDF) sds@hd through grant INST 35/1314-1 FUGG. A.M. acknowledges Italian MIUR for funding through the project PON04a2 00490 M2M Netergit, PRACE, for awarding access to Marconi KNL at CINECA, Italy, through projects DECONVOLVES (2018184466) and PROVING-IL (2019204911). C.C. acknowledges the CINECA award under the ISCRA initiative for the availability of high-performance computing resources and support (project MITOMASC). ; sygma |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 9.5; 2020 IF: 7.504 |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:170703 |
Serial |
6484 |
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Author |
Sandoval, S.; Kepic, D.; Perez del Pino, A.; Gyorgy, E.; Gomez, A.; Pfannmöller, M.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Ballesteros, B.; Tobias, G. |
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Title |
Selective laser-assisted synthesis of tubular van der Waals heterostructures of single-layered PbI2 within carbon nanotubes exhibiting carrier photogeneration |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year |
2018 |
Publication |
ACS nano |
Abbreviated Journal |
Acs Nano |
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Volume |
12 |
Issue |
7 |
Pages |
6648-6656 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
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Abstract |
The electronic and optical properties of two-dimensional layered materials allow the miniaturization of nanoelectronic and optoelectronic devices in a competitive manner. Even larger opportunities arise when two or more layers of different materials are combined. Here, we report on an ultrafast energy efficient strategy, using laser irradiation, which allows bulk synthesis of crystalline single-layered lead iodide in the cavities of carbon nanotubes by forming cylindrical van der Waals heterostructures. In contrast to the filling of van der Waals solids into carbon nanotubes by conventional thermal annealing, which favors the formation of inorganic nanowires, the present strategy is highly selective toward the growth of monolayers forming lead iodide nanotubes. The irradiated bulk material bearing the nanotubes reveals a decrease of the resistivity as well as a significant increase in the current flow upon illumination. Both effects are attributed to the presence of single-walled lead iodide nanotubes in the cavities of carbon nanotubes, which dominate the properties of the whole matrix. The present study brings in a simple, ultrafast and energy efficient strategy for the tailored synthesis of rolled-up single-layers of lead iodide (i.e., single-walled PbI2 nanotubes), which we believe could be expanded to other two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals solids. In fact, initial tests with ZnI2 already reveal the formation of single-walled ZnI2 nanotubes, thus proving the versatility of the approach. |
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Wos |
000440505000029 |
Publication Date |
2018-07-05 |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
1936-0851 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
13.942 |
Times cited |
8 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
; We acknowledge funding from MINECO (Spain), through MAT2017-86616-R, ENE2017-89210-C2-1-R, and “Severo Ochoa” Programme for Centres of Excellence in R&D (SEV-2015-0496, SEV-2013-0295), CERCA programme for funding ICN2 and support from AGAUR of Generalitat de Catalunya through the projects 2017 SGR 1086, 2017 SGR 581 and 2017 SGR 327. We thank Thomas Swan Co., Ltd., for supplying MWCNT Elicarb samples. D.K. acknowledges financial support from the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia for postdoctoral research. We are grateful to R Rurali (ICMAB-CSIC) for providing the structural model of the PbI<INF>2</INF> nanotube employed for the schematic representation of PbI<INF>2</INF>@MVWCNT. ; |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 13.942 |
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Call Number |
UA @ lucian @ c:irua:153169 |
Serial |
5127 |
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Author |
Mayer, J.A.; Offermans, T.; Chrapa, M.; Pfannmöller, M.; Bals, S.; Ferrini, R.; Nisato, G. |
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Title |
Optical enhancement of a printed organic tandem solar cell using diffractive nanostructures |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year |
2018 |
Publication |
Optics express |
Abbreviated Journal |
Opt Express |
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Volume |
26 |
Issue |
26 |
Pages |
A240 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
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Abstract |
Solution processable organic tandem solar cells offer a promising approach to achieve cost-effective, lightweight and flexible photovoltaics. In order to further enhance the efficiency of optimized organic tandem cells, diffractive light-management nanostructures were designed for an optimal redistribution of the light as function of both wavelength and propagation angles in both sub-cells. As the fabrication of these optical structures is compatible with roll-to-roll production techniques such as hot-embossing or UV NIL imprinting, they present an optimal cost-effective solution for printed photovoltaics. Tandem cells with power conversion efficiencies of 8-10% were fabricated in the ambient atmosphere by doctor blade coating, selected to approximate the conditions during roll-to-roll manufacturing. Application of the light management structure onto an 8.7% efficient encapsulated tandem cell boosted the conversion efficiency of the cell to 9.5%. (C) 2018 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement |
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Wos |
000427900400003 |
Publication Date |
2018-02-26 |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
1094-4087 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
3.307 |
Times cited |
9 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
; FP7 European collaborative project SUNFLOWER (FP7-ICT-2011-7, grant number 287594); German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) (03xEK3504, project TAURUS); FP7 European project ESTEEM2 (grant number 312483); HEiKA centre FunTECH-3D. ; |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 3.307 |
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Call Number |
UA @ lucian @ c:irua:150839UA @ admin @ c:irua:150839 |
Serial |
4975 |
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Author |
Ben Dkhil, S.; Pfannmöller, M.; Schroeder, R.R.; Alkarsifi, R.; Gaceur, M.; Koentges, W.; Heidari, H.; Bals, S.; Margeat, O.; Ackermann, J.; Videlot-Ackermann, C. |
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Title |
Interplay of interfacial layers and blend composition to reduce thermal degradation of polymer solar cells at high temperature |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year |
2018 |
Publication |
ACS applied materials and interfaces |
Abbreviated Journal |
Acs Appl Mater Inter |
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Volume |
10 |
Issue |
10 |
Pages |
3874-3884 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
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Abstract |
The thermal stability of printed polymer solar cells at elevated temperatures needs to be improved to achieve high-throughput fabrication including annealing steps as well as long-term stability. During device processing, thermal annealing impacts both the organic photoactive layer, and the two interfacial layers make detailed studies of degradation mechanism delicate. A recently identified thermally stable poly[[4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b'-dithiopherie-2,6-diyl] [3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl) carbonyl] thieno [3,4-b]thiophenediyl]] : [6,6]-phenyl- C-71-butyric acid methyl ester (PTB7:PC70BM) blend as photoactive layer in combination with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate as hole extraction layer is used here to focus on the impact of electron extraction layer (EEL) on the thermal stability of solar cells. Solar cells processed with densely packed ZnO nanoparticle layers still show 92% of the initial efficiency after constant annealing during 1 day at 140 degrees C, whereas partially covering ZnO layers as well as an evaporated calcium layer leads to performance losses of up to 30%. This demonstrates that the nature and morphology of EELs highly influence the thermal stability of the device. We extend our study to thermally unstable PTB7:[6,6]-phenyl-C-61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC60BM) blends to highlight the impact of ZnO on the device degradation during annealing. Importantly, only 12% loss in photocurrent density is observed after annealing at 140 degrees C during 1 day when using closely packed ZnO. This is in stark contrast to literature and addressed here to the use of a stable double-sided confinement during thermal annealing. The underlying mechanism of the inhibition of photocurrent losses is revealed by electron microscopy imaging and spatially resolved spectroscopy. We found that the double-sided confinement suppresses extensive fullerene diffusion during the annealing step, but with still an increase in size and distance of the enriched donor and acceptor domains inside the photoactive layer by an average factor of 5. The later result in combination with comparably small photocurrent density losses indicates the existence of an efficient transport of minority charge carriers inside the donor and acceptor enriched phases in PTB7:PC60BM blends. |
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Wos |
000424728800082 |
Publication Date |
2018-01-12 |
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Series Editor |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
1944-8244 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
7.504 |
Times cited |
9 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
; We acknowledge the financial support by the French Fond Unique Interministeriel (FUI) under the project “SFUMATO” (grant number: F1110019V/201308815) as well as by the European Commission under the Project “SUNFLOWER” (FP7-ICT-2011-7-contract number: 287594). M.P. and R.R.S. acknowledge support by the HeiKA (Heidelberg Karlsruhe Research Partnership) FunTech-3D materials science program. ; |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 7.504 |
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Call Number |
UA @ lucian @ c:irua:149309UA @ admin @ c:irua:149309 |
Serial |
4939 |
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Author |
Kertik, A.; Wee, L.H.; Pfannmöller, M.; Bals, S.; Martens, J.A.; Vankelecom, I.F.J. |
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Title |
Highly selective gas separation membrane using in situ amorphised metal-organic frameworks |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year |
2017 |
Publication |
Energy & environmental science |
Abbreviated Journal |
Energ Environ Sci |
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Volume |
10 |
Issue |
10 |
Pages |
2342-2351 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
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Abstract |
Conventional carbon dioxide (CO2) separation in the petrochemical industry via cryogenic distillation is energy intensive and environmentally unfriendly. Alternatively, polymer membrane-based separations are of significant interest owing to low production cost, low-energy consumption and ease of upscaling. However, the implementation of commercial polymeric membranes is limited by their permeability and selectivity trade-off and the insufficient thermal and chemical stability. Herein, a novel type of amorphous mixed matrix membrane (MMM) able to separate CO2/CH4 mixtures with the highest selectivities ever reported for MOF based MMMs is presented. The MMM consists of an amorphised metal-organic framework (MOF) dispersed in an oxidatively cross-linked matrix achieved by fine tuning of the thermal treatment temperature in air up to 350 degrees C which drastically boosts the separation properties of the MMM. Thanks to the protection of the surrounding polymer, full oxidation of this MOF (i.e. ZIF-8) is prevented, and amorphisation of the MOF is realized instead, thus in situ creating a molecular sieve network. In addition, the treatment also improves the filler-polymer adhesion and induces an oxidative cross-linking of the polyimide matrix, resulting in MMMs with increased stability or plasticization resistance at high pressure up to 40 bar, marking a new milestone as new molecular sieve MOF MMMs for challenging natural gas purification applications. A new field for the use of amorphised MOFs and a variety of separation opportunities for such MMMs are thus opened. |
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Wos |
000414774500007 |
Publication Date |
2017-08-09 |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
1754-5692; 1754-5706 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
29.518 |
Times cited |
122 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
; A.K. acknowledges financial support from the Erasmus-Mundus Doctorate in Membrane Engineering (EUDIME) Programme. L.H.W. thanks the FWO-Vlaanderen for a postdoctoral research fellowship (12M1415N). M. P. acknowledges financial support by the FP7 European project SUNFLOWER (FP7 #287594). S. B. acknowledges financial support from European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant # 335078-COLOURATOMS). J. A. M. gratefully acknowledges financial supports from the Flemish Government for long-term Methusalem funding. J. A. M. and I. F. J. V. acknowledge the Belgian Government for IAP-PAI networking. A. K. would also like to thank Frank Mathijs for the mechanical tests, Roy Bernstein for the XPS analysis and Lien Telen and Bart Goderis for the DSC measurements. We thank Verder Scientific Benelux for providing the service of ZIF-8 ball milling. ; ecas_sara |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 29.518 |
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Call Number |
UA @ lucian @ c:irua:147399UA @ admin @ c:irua:147399 |
Serial |
4879 |
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Author |
Ben Dkhil, S.; Pfannmöller, M.; Ata, I.; Duche, D.; Gaceur, M.; Koganezawa, T.; Yoshimoto, N.; Simon, J.-J.; Escoubas, L.; Videlot-Ackermann, C.; Margeat, O.; Bals, S.; Bauerle, P.; Ackermann, J. |
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Title |
Time evolution studies of dithieno[3,2-b:2 ',3 '-d] pyrrole-based A-D-A oligothiophene bulk heterojunctions during solvent vapor annealing towards optimization of photocurrent generation |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year |
2017 |
Publication |
Journal of materials chemistry A : materials for energy and sustainability |
Abbreviated Journal |
J Mater Chem A |
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Volume |
5 |
Issue |
5 |
Pages |
1005-1013 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
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Abstract |
Solvent vapor annealing (SVA) is one of the main techniques to improve the morphology of bulk heterojunction solar cells using oligomeric donors. In this report, we study time evolution of nanoscale morphological changes in bulk heterojunctions based on a well-studied dithienopyrrole-based A-D-A oligothiophene (dithieno[3,2-b: 2',3'-d] pyrrole named here 1) blended with [6,6]-phenyl-C-71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) to increase photocurrent density by combining scanning transmission electron microscopy and low-energy-loss spectroscopy. Our results show that SVA transforms the morphology of 1 : PC71BM blends by a three-stage mechanism: highly intermixed phases evolve into nanostructured bilayers that correspond to an optimal blend morphology. Additional SVA leads to completely phaseseparated micrometer-sized domains. Optical spacers were used to increase light absorption inside optimized 1 : PC71BM blends leading to solar cells of 7.74% efficiency but a moderate photocurrent density of 12.3 mA cm (-2). Quantum efficiency analyses reveal that photocurrent density is mainly limited by losses inside the donor phase. Indeed, optimized 1 : PC71BM blends consist of large donor-enriched domains not optimal for exciton to photocurrent conversion. Shorter SVA times lead to smaller domains; however they are embedded in large mixed phases suggesting that introduction of stronger molecular packing may help us to better balance phase separation and domain size enabling more efficient bulk heterojunction solar cells. |
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Place of Publication |
Cambridge |
Editor |
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Wos |
000394430800018 |
Publication Date |
2016-11-30 |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
2050-7488; 2050-7496 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
8.867 |
Times cited |
19 |
Open Access |
Not_Open_Access |
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Notes |
; We acknowledge financial support by the French Fond Unique Interministeriel (FUI) under the project “SFUMATO” (Grant number: F1110019V/201308815) as well as by the European Commission under the Project “SUNFLOWER” (FP7-ICT-2011-7, Grant number: 287594). The synchrotron radiation experiments were performed at BL19B2 in SPring-8 with the approval of Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI) (Proposal No. 2016A1568). We further acknowledge financial support via ERC Starting Grant Colouratoms (335078). ; |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 8.867 |
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Call Number |
UA @ lucian @ c:irua:142602UA @ admin @ c:irua:142602 |
Serial |
4695 |
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Author |
Ben Dkhil, S.; Pfannmöller, M.; Saba, M.I.; Gaceur, M.; Heidari, H.; Videlot-Ackermann, C.; Margeat, O.; Guerrero, A.; Bisquert, J.; Garcia-Belmonte, G.; Mattoni, A.; Bals, S.; Ackermann, J. |
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Title |
Toward high-temperature stability of PTB7-based bulk heterojunction solar cells : impact of fullerene size and solvent additive |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year |
2017 |
Publication |
Laser physics review |
Abbreviated Journal |
Adv Energy Mater |
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Volume |
7 |
Issue |
7 |
Pages |
1601486 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
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Abstract |
The use of fullerene as acceptor limits the thermal stability of organic solar cells at high temperatures as their diffusion inside the donor leads to phase separation via Ostwald ripening. Here it is reported that fullerene diffusion is fully suppressed at temperatures up to 140 degrees C in bulk heterojunctions based on the benzodithiophene-based polymer (the poly[[4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b: 4,5-b']dithiophene-2,6-diyl][3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl) carbonyl]thieno[3,4-b]thiophenediyl]], (PTB7) in combination with the fullerene derivative [6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC70BM). The blend stability is found independently of the presence of diiodooctane (DIO) used to optimize nanostructuration and in contrast to PTB7 blends using the smaller fullerene derivative PC70BM. The unprecedented thermal stability of PTB7: PC70BM layers is addressed to local minima in the mixing enthalpy of the blend forming stable phases that inhibit fullerene diffusion. Importantly, although the nanoscale morphology of DIO processed blends is thermally stable, corresponding devices show strong performance losses under thermal stress. Only by the use of a high temperature annealing step removing residual DIO from the device, remarkably stable high efficiency solar cells with performance losses less than 10% after a continuous annealing at 140 degrees C over 3 days are obtained. These results pave the way toward high temperature stable polymer solar cells using fullerene acceptors. |
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Place of Publication |
Place of publication unknown |
Editor |
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Wos |
000396328500009 |
Publication Date |
2016-11-07 |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
1614-6832; |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
16.721 |
Times cited |
27 |
Open Access |
Not_Open_Access |
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Notes |
; The authors acknowledge financial support by the French Fond Unique Interministeriel (FUI) under the project “SFUMATO” (grant number: F1110019V/ 201308815) as well as by the European Commission under the Project “SUNFLOWER” (FP7-ICT-2011-7, grant number: 287594). Generalitat Valenciana (ISIC/2012/008 Institute of Nanotechnologies for Clean Energies) is also acknowledged for providing financial support. The authors further acknowledge financial support via ERC Starting Grant Colouratoms (335078). ; |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 16.721 |
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| |
Call Number |
UA @ lucian @ c:irua:141991UA @ admin @ c:irua:141991 |
Serial |
4697 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
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| |
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Author |
D'Olieslaeger, L.; Pfannmöller, M.; Fron, E.; Cardinaletti, I.; Van der Auweraer, M.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Bals, S.; Maes, W.; Vanderzande, D.; Manca, J.; Ethirajan, A. |
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| |
Title |
Tuning of PCDTBT : PC71BM blend nanoparticles for eco-friendly processing of polymer solar cells |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| |
Year |
2017 |
Publication |
Solar energy materials and solar cells |
Abbreviated Journal |
Sol Energ Mat Sol C |
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| |
Volume |
159 |
Issue |
159 |
Pages |
179-188 |
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| |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
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| |
Abstract |
We report the controlled preparation of water processable nanoparticles (NPs) employing the push-pull polymer PCDTBT and the fullerene acceptor PC71BM in order to enable solar cell processing using eco-friendly solvent (i.e. water). The presented method provides the possibility to separate the formation of the active layer blend and the deposition of the active layer into two different processes. For the first time, the benefits of aqueous processability for the high-potential class of push-pull polymers, generally requiring high boiling solvents, are made accessible. With our method we demonstrate excellent control over the blend stoichiometry and efficient mixing. Furthermore, we provide visualization of the nano morphology of the different NPs to obtain structural information down to similar to 2 nm resolution using advanced analytical electron microscopy. The imaging directly reveals very small compositional demixing in the PCDTBT:PC71BM blend NPs, in the size range of about <5 nm, indicating fine mixing at the molecular level. The suitability of the proposed methodology and materials towards the aspects of eco-friendly processing of organic solar cells is demonstrated through a processing of lab scale NPs solar cell prototypes reaching a power conversion efficiency of 1.9%. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. |
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Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
|
Place of Publication |
Amsterdam |
Editor |
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| |
Language |
|
Wos |
000388053600021 |
Publication Date |
2016-09-19 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
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| |
ISSN |
0927-0248 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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| |
Impact Factor |
4.784 |
Times cited |
32 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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| |
Notes |
; This work was supported by BOF funding of Hasselt University, the Interreg project Organext, and the IAP 7/05 project FS2 (Functional Supramolecular Systems), granted by the Science Policy Office of the Belgian Federal Government (BELSPO). A.E. is a post-doctoral fellow of the Flanders Research Foundation (FWO). M.P. gratefully acknowledges the SIM NanoForce program for financial support. S.B. further acknowledges financial support from the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078-COLOURATOMS). The authors are thankful for technical support by J. Smits, T. Vangerven, and J. Baccus. ; ecas_sara |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 4.784 |
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| |
Call Number |
UA @ lucian @ c:irua:139157UA @ admin @ c:irua:139157 |
Serial |
4450 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
| |
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| |
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Author |
Ben Dkhil, S.; Pfannmöller, M.; Bals, S.; Koganezawa, T.; Yoshimoto, N.; Hannani, D.; Gaceur, M.; Videlot-Ackermann, C.; Margeat, O.; Ackermann, J. |
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| |
Title |
Square-centimeter-sized high-efficiency polymer solar cells : how the processing atmosphere and film quality influence performance at large scale |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| |
Year |
2016 |
Publication |
Laser physics review |
Abbreviated Journal |
Adv Energy Mater |
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| |
Volume |
6 |
Issue |
6 |
Pages |
1600290 |
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| |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
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Abstract |
Organic solar cells based on two benzodithiophene-based polymers (PTB7 and PTB7-Th) processed at square centimeter-size under inert atmosphere and ambient air, respectively, are investigated. It is demonstrated that the performance of solar cells processed under inert atmosphere is not limited by the upscaling of photoactive layer and the interfacial layers. Thorough morphological and electrical characterizations of optimized layers and corresponding devices reveal that performance losses due to area enlargement are only caused by the sheet resistance of the transparent electrode reducing the effi ciency from 9.3% of 7.8% for PTB7-Th in the condition that both photoactive layer and the interfacial layers are of high layer quality. Air processing of photoactive layer and the interfacial layers into centimeter-sized solar cells lead to additional, but only slight, losses (< 10%) in all photovoltaic parameters, which can be addressed to changes in the electronic properties of both active layer and ZnO layers rather than changes in layer morphology. The demonstrated compatibility of polymer solar cells using solution-processed photoactive layer and interfacial layers with large area indicates that the introduction of a standard active area of 1 cm(2) for measuring effi ciency of organic record solar cells is feasible. However electric standards for indium tin oxides (ITO) or alternative transparent electrodes need to be developed so that performance of new photovoltaic materials can be compared at square centimeter-size. |
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Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
Place of publication unknown |
Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
000379314700010 |
Publication Date |
2016-05-04 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| |
ISSN |
1614-6832 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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| |
Impact Factor |
16.721 |
Times cited |
6 |
Open Access |
Not_Open_Access |
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Notes |
; The authors acknowledge financial support by the French Fond Unique Intermisteriel (FUI) under the project “SFUMATO” (Grant number: F1110019V/ 201308815) as well as by the European Commission under the Project “SUNFLOWER” (FP7-ICT-2011-7-contract no. 287594). Generalitat Valenciana (ISIC/2012/008 Institute of Nanotechnologies for Clean Energies) is also acknowledged for providing financial support. The synchrotron radiation experiments were performed at BL46XU and BL19B2 in SPring-8 with the approval of Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI) (Proposal Nos. 2014B1916 and 2015A1984). The authors further acknowledge financial support from the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078-COLOURATOMS). ; |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 16.721 |
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| |
Call Number |
UA @ lucian @ c:irua:134951 |
Serial |
4249 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
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| |
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Author |
Pfannmöller, M.; Heidari, H.; Nanson, L.; Lozman, O.R.; Chrapa, M.; Offermans, T.; Nisato, G.; Bals, S. |
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Title |
Quantitative Tomography of Organic Photovoltaic Blends at the Nanoscale |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| |
Year |
2015 |
Publication |
Nano letters |
Abbreviated Journal |
Nano Lett |
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| |
Volume |
15 |
Issue |
15 |
Pages |
6634-6642 |
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| |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
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Abstract |
The success of semiconducting organic materials has enabled green technologies for electronics, lighting, and photovoltaics. However, when blended together, these materials have also raised novel fundamental questions with respect to electronic, optical, and thermodynamic properties. This is particularly important for organic photovoltaic cells based on the bulk heterojunction. Here, the distribution of nanoscale domains plays a crucial role depending on the specific device structure. Hence, correlation of the aforementioned properties requires 3D nanoscale imaging of materials domains, which are embedded in a multilayer device. Such visualization has so far been elusive due to lack of contrast, insufficient signal, or resolution limits. In this Letter, we introduce spectral scanning transmission electron tomography for reconstruction of entire volume plasmon spectra from rod-shaped specimens. We provide 3D structural correlations and compositional mapping at a resolution of approximately 7 nm within advanced organic photovoltaic tandem cells. Novel insights that are obtained from quantitative 3D analyses reveal that efficiency loss upon thermal annealing can be attributed to subtle, fundamental blend properties. These results are invaluable in guiding the design and optimization of future devices in plastic electronics applications and provide an empirical basis for modeling and simulation of organic solar cells. |
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Address |
EMAT-University of Antwerp , Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
English |
Wos |
000363003100052 |
Publication Date |
2015-09-21 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| |
ISSN |
1530-6984;1530-6992; |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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| |
Impact Factor |
12.712 |
Times cited |
26 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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| |
Notes |
This work was supported by the FP7 European collaborative project SUNFLOWER (FP7-ICT-2011-7-contract num. 287594). S.B. acknowledges financial support from European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078-COLOURATOMS). M.P. gratefully acknowledges the SIM NanoForce program for their financial support. We acknowledge AGFA for providing the neutral PEDOT:PSS and GenesInk for the ZnO nanoparticles. We would like to thank Stijn Van den broeck for extensive support on FIB sample preparation. M.P. and H.H. thank Daniele Zanaga for the many fruitful discussions.; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 12.712; 2015 IF: 13.592 |
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Call Number |
c:irua:129423 c:irua:129423 |
Serial |
3973 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Guerrero, A.; Heidari, H.; Ripolles, T.S.; Kovalenko, A.; Pfannmöller, M.; Bals, S.; Kauffmann, L.-D.; Bisquert, J.; Garcia-Belmonte, G. |
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Title |
Shelf life degradation of bulk heterojunction solar cells : intrinsic evolution of charge transfer complex |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| |
Year |
2015 |
Publication |
Laser physics review |
Abbreviated Journal |
Adv Energy Mater |
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| |
Volume |
5 |
Issue |
5 |
Pages |
1401997 |
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| |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
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Abstract |
Achievement of long-term stability of organic photovoltaics is currently one of the major topics for this technology to reach maturity. Most of the techniques used to reveal degradation pathways are destructive and/or do not allow for real-time measurements in operating devices. Here, three different, nondestructive techniques able to provide real-time information, namely, film absorbance, capacitance-voltage (C-V), and impedance spectroscopy (IS), are combined over a period of 1 year using non-accelerated intrinsic degradation conditions. It is discerned between chemical modifications in the active layer, physical processes taking place in the bulk of the blend from those at the active layer/contact interfaces. In particular, it is observed that during the ageing experiment, the main source for device performance degradation is the formation of donor-acceptor charge-transfer complex (P3HT(center dot+)-PCBM center dot-) that acts as an exciton quencher. Generation of these radical species diminishes photocurrent and reduces open-circuit voltage by the creation of electronic defect states. Conclusions extracted from absorption, C-V, and IS measurements will be further supported by a range of other techniques such as atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and dark-field imaging of scanning transmission electron microscopy on ultrathin cross-sections. |
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Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
S.l. |
Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
000352708600013 |
Publication Date |
2014-12-12 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
1614-6832; |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
16.721 |
Times cited |
30 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
287594 Sunflower; 335078 Colouratom; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 16.721; 2015 IF: 16.146 |
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Call Number |
c:irua:126000 |
Serial |
2994 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Guerrero, A.; Pfannmöller, M.; Kovalenko, A.; Ripolles, T.S.; Heidari, H.; Bals, S.; Kaufmann, L.-D.; Bisquert, J.; Garcia-Belmonte, G. |
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Title |
Nanoscale mapping by electron energy-loss spectroscopy reveals evolution of organic solar cell contact selectivity |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| |
Year |
2015 |
Publication |
Organic electronics: physics, materials, applications |
Abbreviated Journal |
Org Electron |
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| |
Volume |
16 |
Issue |
16 |
Pages |
227-233 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
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Abstract |
Organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices are on the verge of commercialization being long-term stability a key challenge. Morphology evolution during lifetime has been suggested to be one of the main pathways accounting for performance degradation. There is however a lack of certainty on how specifically the morphology evolution relates to individual electrical parameters on operating devices. In this work a case study is created based on a thermodynamically unstable organic active layer which is monitored over a period of one year under non-accelerated degradation conditions. The morphology evolution is revealed by compositional analysis of ultrathin cross-sections using nanoscale imaging in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) coupled with electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS). Additionally, devices are electrically monitored in real-time using the non-destructive electrical techniques capacitance-voltage (C-V) and Impedance Spectroscopy (IS). By comparison of imaging and electrical techniques the relationship between nanoscale morphology and individual electrical parameters of device operation can be conclusively discerned. It is ultimately observed how the change in the cathode contact properties occurring after the migration of fullerene molecules explains the improvement in the overall device performance. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. |
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Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
London |
Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
000345649500029 |
Publication Date |
2014-11-17 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
|
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| |
ISSN |
1566-1199; |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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| |
Impact Factor |
3.399 |
Times cited |
24 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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| |
Notes |
287594 Sunflower; 335078 Colouratom; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:green; preprint:; postprint:can ; pdfversion:cannot); |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 3.399; 2015 IF: 3.827 |
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Call Number |
c:irua:122169 |
Serial |
2267 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
