Plasmon-enhanced organic solar cells with solution-processed three-dimensional Ag nanosheets

The silver nanosheets (AgNSs) prepared via normal silver mirror reaction were used to improve the performance of organic solar cells. AgNSs with a size of about 100 nm in width and 10 nm in thickness formed a 3-D network on an indium tin oxide (ITO) surface. Organic solar cells with a structure of ITO/AgNSs/poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)/poly(3-hexylthiophene) and [6,6]-phenyl C-61 butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PC61BM)/LiF/Al exhibited an open circuit voltage (V-oc) of 0.60 +/- 0.01 V, short circuit current density (J(sc)) of 11.16 +/- 0.08 mA/cm(2), a fill factor (FF) of 53.69 +/- 0.92%, and power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.60 +/- 0.06%. The PCEs of organic solar cells with 3-D AgNSs layers were 1.29 times that of the control device without 3-D AgNSs layer. We attributed the improvement of the efficiency to localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) induced by the 3-D network of AgNSs, which enhanced the light harvest of active layers, increased the probability of exciton generation and dissociation.
Funding Agencies|NSFC|6087604660976048|Tianjin Natural Science Foundation|10ZCKFGX0190010SYSYJC2810012JCQNJC01300|Scientific Developing Foundation of Tianjin Education Commission|20100723|Tianjin Key Discipline of Material Physics and Chemistry