| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1440925 | Synthetic Metals | 2014 | 8 Pages |
•Preparation of a methoxyhexyl-substituted octithiophene for OPV cells.•One-shot deposition of the photoactive layer using vacuum thermal evaporation.•Chemical and structural analysis of the evaporated oligomer.•Efficiency with evaporated oligomer higher than with conventional P3HT.•Efficiency with VTE higher than using the conventional deposition technique.
In this paper we report on the vacuum thermal evaporation (VTE) of poly(3-hexyl)thiophene (P3HT) and a thiophene derivative octamer (OCT) on glassy substrates. The films obtained have been characterized using FT-IR and NMR techniques and, for OCT, UV–vis, XRD and cyclic voltammetry. Solar cells, obtained by simultaneous evaporation of the electron–donor (P3HT or OCT) and electron-acceptor (C60-fullerene) components, were examined by AFM and their efficiency was evaluated under simulated solar illumination. With the oligomeric sample a power conversion efficiency of 1.21% was obtained: a value higher than that obtained with a device prepared with the same oligomer adopting the conventional coating systems used for building-up polymeric BHJ solar cells.
Graphical abstractOptical microscopy image with cross polarizers showing the crystalline morphology of a thin film of octithiophene (OCT) obtained by vacuum thermal evaporation (50×).Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide
