Enhancement of the power conversion efficiency due to the plasmonic resonant effect of Au nanoparticles in ZnO nanoripples

•Au-ZnO nanoripples (NRs) were synthesized using a simple sol-gel method.•PCE of the OPV cells with Au-ZnO NRs was 20.37% larger than that of the OPV cell with a ZnO NRs.•Short-circuit current density (Jsc) of the OPV cells with Au-ZnO NRs was 10.05 mA/cm2.•Increase of the Jsc for the OPV cell with Au-ZnO NRs is due to the localized surface plasmon resonance.

Au-ZnO nanoripples (NRs) were synthesized by using a sol-gel method for utilization as an electron transport layer (ETL) in inverted organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells. Absorption spectra showed that the plasmonic broadband light absorption of the ZnO NRs was increased due to the embedded Au nanoparticles (NPs). In particular, as compared to regular inverted OPV cells with a ZnO NR ETL, the incident photon-to-current efficiency of the inverted OPV cells with a Au-ZnO NR ETL was significantly enhanced due to the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect of the Au NRs. The enhancement of the short-circuit current density (10.05 mA/cm2) of the inverted OPV cells with a Au-ZnO NR ETL was achieved by the insertion of the Au NPs into the ZnO NRs. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the OPV cells with Au-ZnO NRs was 3.25%. The PCE of the inverted OPV cells fabricated with a Au-ZnO NR ETL was significantly improved by 20.37% in comparison with that of inverted OPV cells fabricated with a ZnO NR ETL. This improvement can mainly be attributed to an increase in light absorption in the active layer due to the generation of the LSPR effect resulting from the existence of the Au NPs embedded in the ZnO NRs.

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