Issue 13, 2017, Issue in Progress

A simple synthesis method to prepare a molybdenum oxide hole-transporting layer for efficient polymer solar cells

Abstract

We report a simple synthetic method to prepare amorphous molybdenum oxide (p-MoO3) using a favorably stable peroxomolybdic acid organosol as the precursor solution prepared by an ultrasonic reaction for the first time. The favorably smooth and dense surface morphology of the p-MoO3 layers are obtained under 150 °C thermal treatment with good optical properties and a high work function (WF) of 5.26 eV. During the annealing treatment two different oxidation states of Mo ions are observed with increasing the annealing temperature to 150 °C and 200 °C. The best performance of the P3HT:PC71BM devices with p-MoO3 anode buffer layers has been achieved under 150 °C treatment with a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.02%, a VOC of 0.59 V, a JSC of 10.70 mA cm−2, and a FF of 63.7%, superior to the corresponding PEDOT:PSS modified devices. Furthermore, the performance of the PTB7:PC71BM devices with the annealed p-MoO3 buffer layers has also been dramatically improved with the best performance parameters of a PCE of 8.46%, a VOC of 0.73, a JSC of 17.02 mA cm−2, a FF of 68.1% for 150 °C. The improved performance of the devices originates from the following factors; (i) the favorable and compact surface morphology of the annealed p-MoO3 films leading to a higher rectification ratio and lower leakage current. (ii) The formation of oxygen vacancies and the growing Mo5+ cation leading to the change of WF under the annealing treatment. The highest WF of 5.26 eV for 150 °C treatment influences the built-in electric field of the devices with the photocurrent being extracted efficiently at a short-circuit.

Graphical abstract: A simple synthesis method to prepare a molybdenum oxide hole-transporting layer for efficient polymer solar cells

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
09 Jan 2017
Accepted
20 Jan 2017
First published
23 Jan 2017
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

RSC Adv., 2017,7, 7890-7900

A simple synthesis method to prepare a molybdenum oxide hole-transporting layer for efficient polymer solar cells

Y. Li, H. Yu, X. Huang, Z. Wu and M. Chen, RSC Adv., 2017, 7, 7890 DOI: 10.1039/C7RA00303J

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