Conductive polymer films as electrodes in organic solar cells

Healey, John (2020) Conductive polymer films as electrodes in organic solar cells. Memorial University of Newfoundland. (Unpublished)

[English] PDF (Undergraduate Honours Thesis) - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. Download (4MB)

Abstract

As predictions on the future of Earth's climate have grown increasingly dire, it has become clear that a transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources is necessary. Organic solar cells (OSCs) are an emerging photovoltaics technology with several advantages over traditional silicon-based cells including low manufacturing cost, high exibility, and high transparency. However, most OSC architectures still use inorganic Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) as the anode material, increasing costs and reducing sustainability of the manufacturing process. In this study, the conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) is investigated as an alternative anode material for OSCs, and its performance as an anode is optimized. It was found that ITO possesses a higher transmittance in the solar spectrum than PEDOT:PSS, and that ITO synergizes better with existing standards such as the P3HT:PCBM active layer material. Electrical tests were inconclusive, so it is left to future work to determine conclusively the suitability of PEDOT:PSS as an anode material for OSCs.

Actions (login required)

View Item