Organic solar cells with surface-treated graphene thin film as interfacial layer

•Surface-treated graphene thin films adopted for application of organic solar cells (OSCs).•Electro properties of graphene thin films were affected by different surface treatment.•Acetone treated OSCs showed a best performance of 3.40%.•By introducing a graphene thin films, shunt and series resistance improved.

The effects of surface-treated graphene thin films on the performance of organic solar cells (OSCs) were systematically investigated for different surface treatments. Four different surface treatments were introduced for controlling the graphene work function and conductivity: annealing in argon ambient, dipping in acetone, ultraviolet irradiation, and nitrogen plasma treatment. The treated graphene films were utilized as interfacial layers between indium tin oxide electrodes and molybdenum oxide-based hole extraction layers in OSCs. The best performance was observed for the device that incorporated acetone-treated graphene, and was attributed to the increased short-circuit current due to the improved shunt and series resistance.

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