Organic photovoltaics are no longer restricted to the ideally envisioned bulk heterojunctions of donors and acceptors. Instead, the morphology of the film is  thought to comprise pure polymer crystals and fullerene agglomerates that are enveloped by a mixed, fluid and amorphous phase containing both materials. Photovoltaic properties are determined by the composition and nanoscale morphology of the phase separated films. In this project compositional and morphological control has been exercised by tailoring the self assembly of the polymer in solvent vapor, followed by thermal annealing to achieve favorable aggregation of the acceptor. This work endeavors to establish the composition-processing-morphology-performance relationship in air processed P3HT:PCBM blends. In-depth characterization was performed using XRD, UV-Vis spectroscopy and efficiency measurements on a solar simulator. AFM in tapping, conductive and surface potential modes was utilized to determine correlation between morphology and conductivity.

Exploring processing-property relationships of organic photovoltaic blends at the nanoscale

244th National Meeting (2012)

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