Dynamic PCBM:dimer population in solar cells under light and temperature fluctuations
File(s)AEM_revisions___Dynamic_dimer_population.pdf (2.08 MB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Pont, S
Durrant, JR
Cabral, JT
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Photoinduced dimerization of phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) has a significant impact on the stability of polymer:PCBM organic solar cells (OSCs). This reaction is reversible, as dimers can be thermally decomposed at sufficiently elevated temperatures and both photodimerization and decomposition are temperature dependent. In operando conditions of OSCs evidently involve exposure to both light and heat, following periodic diurnal and seasonal profiles. In this work, the kinetics of dimer formation and decomposition are examined and quantified as a function of temperature, light intensity, blend composition, and time. The activation energy for photodimerization is estimated to be 0.021(3) eV, considerably smaller than that for decomposition (0.96 eV). The findings are benchmarked with a variety of conjugated polymer matrices to propose a descriptive dynamic model of PCBM:dimer population in OSCs, and a framework is proposed to rationalize its interplay with morphology evolution and charge quenching. The model and parameters enable the prediction of the dynamic and long-term PCBM:dimer populations, under variable temperature and light conditions, which impact the morphological stability of OSCs.
Date Issued
2019-05-16
Date Acceptance
2019-03-27
Citation
Advanced Energy Materials, 2019, 9 (19), pp.1-9
ISSN
1614-6832
Publisher
Wiley-VCH Verlag
Start Page
1
End Page
9
Journal / Book Title
Advanced Energy Materials
Volume
9
Issue
19
Copyright Statement
© 2019 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article, which has been published in final form at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/aenm.201803948. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.
Identifier
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/aenm.201803948
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Technology
Chemistry, Physical
Energy & Fuels
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Physics, Applied
Physics, Condensed Matter
Chemistry
Materials Science
Physics
dimerization
fullerenes
organic solar cells
photochemistry
stability
MECHANISM
CYCLOADDITION
GENERATION
SCATTERING
STABILITY
OXYGEN
0303 Macromolecular and Materials Chemistry
0912 Materials Engineering
0915 Interdisciplinary Engineering
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
1803948
Date Publish Online
2019-03-27