Materials and devices design for efficient double junction polymer solar cells

Organic solar cells exhibit potential to provide light-weight and low-cost solar energy on flexible substrates. However, current efficiency is still low for applications. New materials and device designs are needed to increase cell efficiency and make this technology available for large-scale applications. The dependence of double junction solar cell efficiency on polymer bandgaps in top and bottom subcells are presented, which provides guidance for engineering new conjugated polymers for efficient photovoltaic device development. The achievable cell efficiency can be beyond 16% with the bandgap of the bottom subcell at ∼1.6 eV (∼775 nm) and that of the top subcell at ∼1 eV (∼1240 nm). In addition, the LUMO and HOMO energy levels of the donor polymers are provided depending on various acceptor materials such as PCBM, TiO2, ZnO and CdSe. The interfacial layers between the subcells in double junction organic devices are also discussed.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights► Identified appropriate polymer bandgaps for efficient double junction organic solar cells. ► Identified appropriate polymer HOMO/LUMO levels to match PCBM, TiO2, ZnO and CdSe. ► Observed potential barriers for various electron transport layers with PCBM.