This Review summarizes recent progress in the development of polymer solar cells. It covers the scientific origins and basic properties of polymer solar cell technology, material requirements and device operation mechanisms, while also providing a synopsis of major achievements in the field over the past few years. Potential future developments and the applications of this technology are also briefly discussed.

Polymer solar cells

Bulk heterojunction (BHJ) polymer solar cells (PSCs) sandwich a blend layer of conjugated polymer donor and fullerene derivative acceptor between a transparent ITO positive electrode and a low work function metal negative electrode. In comparison with traditional inorganic semiconductor solar cells, PSCs offer a simpler device structure, easier fabrication, lower cost, and lighter weight, and these structures can be fabricated into flexible devices. But currently the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the PSCs is not sufficient for future commercialization. The polymer donors and fullerene derivative acceptors are the key photovoltaic materials that will need to be optimized for high-performance PSCs.In this Account, I discuss the basic requirements and scientific issues in the molecular design of high efficiency photovoltaic molecules. I also summarize recent progress in electronic energy level engineering and absorption spectral broadening of the donor and acceptor photovoltaic materials by my researc...

https://faculty.missouri.edu/~glaserr/3700s13/SolarCells_PSC-BHJ_2012_ar2002446.pdf

Molecular design of photovoltaic materials for polymer solar cells: toward suitable electronic energy levels and broad absorption.

Recent Advances in Bulk Heterojunction Polymer Solar Cells

The optoelectronic properties of polymeric semiconductor materials can be utilized for the fabrication of organic electronic and photonic devices. When key structural requirements are met, these materials exhibit unique properties such as solution processability, large charge transporting capabilities, and/or broad optical absorption. In this review recent developments in the area of π-conjugated polymeric semiconductors for organic thin-film (or field-effect) transistors (OTFTs or OFETs) and bulk-heterojunction photovoltaic (or solar) cell (BHJ-OPV or OSC) applications are summarized and analyzed.

π-Conjugated Polymers for Organic Electronics and Photovoltaic Cell Applications†

/pdf/functional-nucleic-acid-sensors-k8tlieshyr.pdf

Functional Nucleic Acid Sensors

Over the last five years, organic photovoltaic devices have emerged as a new competitor to silicon-based solar cells. In particular, the bulk heterojunction architecture (BHJ), in which the photoactive layer consists of a bicontinuous blend of an electron donor and an electron acceptor, has allowed power conversion efficiencies around 8%. We will present in this review the latest conjugated polymers used in such BHJ solar cells. We will mainly focus on electron-donating (p-type) polymers based on thiophenes, 1,3,2-benzodiathiazoles, pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-1,4-diones, benzo[1,2-b;3,4-b]dithiophenes, and few other materials with more exotic structures. This review should be helpful to evaluate which are the most promising materials and where this research field is going in the years to come.

Processable Low-Bandgap Polymers for Photovoltaic Applications†

A new low-band-gap thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione-based copolymer, PBDTTPD, has been designed and synthesized PBDTTPD is soluble in chloroform or o-dichlorobenzene upon heating and shows a broad absorption in the visible region The HOMO and LUMO energy levels were estimated to be at −556 and −375 eV, respectively These electrochemical measurements fit well with an optical bandgap of 18 eV When blended with PC71BM, this polymer demonstrated a power conversion efficiency of 55% in a bulk-heterojunction photovoltaic device having an active area of 10 cm2

/pdf/a-thieno-3-4-c-pyrrole-4-6-dione-based-copolymer-for-mo6uqkoxpl.pdf

A thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione-based copolymer for efficient solar cells.

In recent years, intense research has been carried out worldwide with the goal of developing simple, sensitive, and specific detection tools for biomedical applications. Along these lines, we reported in 2002 on cationic polythiophene derivatives able to provide ultrasensitive detection levels and the capability to distinguish perfect matches from oligonucleotides having as little as a single base mismatch. It was shown that the intrinsic fluorescence of the random-coil polymers quenches as a result of the planar, highly conjugated conformation adopted by the polymers when complexed with a single-strand DNA (ssDNA) capture probe but increases again after hybridization with the perfectly matched complementary strand. This change in fluorescence intensity is mainly due to a modification in the delocalization of π electrons along the carbon chain backbone that occurs when switching between the two conformations. Thus, by monitoring, via the change in fluorescence intensity, the hybridization of the complemen...

Optical Detection of DNA and Proteins with Cationic Polythiophenes

/pdf/a-high-mobility-low-bandgap-poly-2-7-carbazole-derivative-25yrqryj5a.pdf

Ahmed Najari

Papers

Processable Low-Bandgap Polymers for Photovoltaic Applications†

A thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione-based copolymer for efficient solar cells.

Optical Detection of DNA and Proteins with Cationic Polythiophenes

A High-Mobility Low-Bandgap Poly(2,7-carbazole) Derivative for Photovoltaic Applications

Synthesis of 5-Alkyl[3,4-c]thienopyrrole-4,6-dione-Based Polymers by Direct Heteroarylation