Fabrication of P3HT/PCBM solar cloth by electrospinning technique

Electrospinning of a conjugated polymer is not possible due to the absence of chain entanglement (it exists as a rigid rod conformation in a solution), which is a prerequisite for electrospinning. In the present study, fabrication of core–shell nanofibers has been done by co-electrospinning of two components such as poly(3-hexyl thiophene) (P3HT) (a conducting polymer) or P3HT/PCBM as the core and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) as the shell. The TEM observation and FTIR analysis confirmed the encapsulation of the P3HT within the PVP polymer. Continuous P3HT or P3HT/PCBM nanofibers have been obtained by subsequent washing of the shell polymer template in a post-treatment step. These nanofibers were tested for solar cloth applications.

Graphical AbstractFabrication of solar cloths from electrospun nanofibers would be interesting for low power applications such as indoor furnishings, clothing, etc. Conventionally, silicon based solar cells on flexible substrates and plastic solar cells are attached to fabrics to make them photovoltaic. We have invented a new methodology for the direct fabrication of solar cloths consisting of P3HT and PCBM in the presence of a template polymer using a co-axial electrospinning technique. By using this technique, electrospinning of a conducting polymer (CP) in a pure form is achieved. This is not possible by the usual electrospinning technique due to the absence of chain entanglement in the CP (in solution). Improvements in the efficiency of the solar cloth will find potential applications in today's portable devices such as laptop, mobile phones and sensors.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide