Graphenic nanosheets sandwiched between crystalline cakes of poly(3-hexylthiophene) via simultaneous grafting/crystallization and their applications in active photovoltaic layers

Via simultaneous grafting and crystallization of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) chains onto the reduced graphene oxide nanosheets, the cake-like P3HT crystalline layers sandwiched the nanosheets and sandG-cakeP3HT nano-hybrids were designed. The P3HT grafts directed the P3HT free-chains...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of materials science. Materials in electronics 2019-04, Vol.30 (7), p.7018-7030
Main Authors: Zeighami, Mohammad, Agbolaghi, Samira, Hamdast, Ali, Sarvari, Raana
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Butyric acid
Chains
Circuits
Crystal structure
Crystallinity
Crystallization
Grafting
Grafts
Graphene
Molecular orbitals
Nanosheets
Nanostructure
Open circuit voltage
Photovoltaic cells
Quantum efficiency
Short circuit currents
Solar cells
Ultraviolet spectra
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Via simultaneous grafting and crystallization of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) chains onto the reduced graphene oxide nanosheets, the cake-like P3HT crystalline layers sandwiched the nanosheets and sandG-cakeP3HT nano-hybrids were designed. The P3HT grafts directed the P3HT free-chains to vertically assemble onto the rGO-graft-P3HT and reach a flat-on orientation. Further red-shifting and peak intensification were also detected in respective ultraviolet–visible spectra (A0−2 = 491, A0−1 = 552, and A0−0 = 602 nm) and the conductivities of sandG-cakeP3HT nanostructures ranged in 10.13–10.29 S/cm. The bandgap of sandG-cakeP3HT supramolecules [the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) =−5.37 eV, the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) = −3.48 eV] was 1.89 eV. A huge jump in the improvement of photovoltaic characteristics was achieved by newly developed sandG-cakeP3HT nano-hybrids. The P3HT:sandG-cakeP3HT photovoltaic devices led to the characteristics of 9.81 mA/cm2 (short circuit current density), 55% (fill factor), 0.66 V (open circuit voltage) and 3.56% (efficiency). The addition of phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) also improved the properties to 11.48 mA/cm2, 60%, 0.67 V and 4.61%. The external quantum efficiency measurements verified the influence of developed donor–acceptor nano-hybrids on the photovoltaic characteristics. The maximum peak values of 72–74% were detected at 560 nm for P3HT:sandG-cakeP3HT:PC71BM devices.
ISSN:0957-4522
1573-482X
DOI:10.1007/s10854-019-01019-3