Nafion-Modified PEDOT:PSS as a Transparent Hole-Transporting Layer for High-Performance Crystalline-Si/Organic Heterojunction Solar Cells with Improved Light Soaking Stability

• Published in: ACS applied materials & interfaces 2016-11, Vol.8 (46), p.31926-31934
• Main Authors: Hossain, Jaker, Liu, Qiming, Miura, Takuya, Kasahara, Koji, Harada, Daisuke, Ishikawa, Ryo, Ueno, Keiji, Shirai, Hajime
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1944-8244; 1944-8252
• DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b10272

We demonstrate the chemistry of amphiphilic perfluorosulfonic copolymer Nafion-coated conductive poly­(3,4-ethyelenedioxythiophene):poly­(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and its effect on the photovoltaic performance of PEDOT:PSS/crystalline Si (c-Si) heterojunction solar cells. The highly hydrophilic sulfonate group of insulating, chemically stable Nafion interacts with PSS in PEDOT:PSS, which reduce the Coulombic interaction between PEDOT and PSS. The highly hydrophobic fluorocarbon backbone of Nafion favorably interacts with hydrophobic PEDOT of PEDOT:PSS. These factors give rise to the extension of π-conjugation of PEDOT chains. Silver paste used as a top grid electrode diffused into the Nafion layer and contacted with underneath Nafion-modified PEDOT:PSS layer. As a consequent, solution-processed Nafion-coated PEDOT:PSS/c-Si heterojunction solar cells exhibited a higher power conversion efficiency of 14.0% with better stability for light soaking rather than that of the pristine PEDOT:PSS/c-Si device by adjusting the layer thickness of Nafion. These findings originate from the chemical stability of hydrophobic fluorocarbon backbone of Nafion, diffusivity of silver paste into Nafion and contact with PEDOT:PSS, and Nafion as an antireflection layer.