Increased photocurrent in bulk-heterojunction solar cells mediated by FeS2 nanocrystals

We found that the efficiency of bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells can be enhanced by incorporating a small amount of semiconductor FeS2 nanocrystals (NCs) into the poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and (6,6)-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) based active layer. Through optical and nanoscale structure measurements, it is evident that low-cost and non-toxic FeS2 NCs in such devices can efficiently improve charge carrier transport and exciton dissociation. This simple approach for increasing the photocurrent by NCs will be useful for accelerating the development of practical applications using organic solar cells.

Graphical abstractThe short-circuit current of P3HT:PCBM OPVs can be enhanced by incorporating a small amount of semiconductor FeS2 nanocrystals (NCs) into the active layer. Through optical and nanoscale structural characterizations, we propose that the mechanism underlying the enhancement is an improved interpenetration of the constituent polymers, which leads to enhanced charge carrier transport.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide