Broadband absorbing bulk heterojunction photovoltaics using low-bandgap solution-processed quantum dots.

Noone, Kevin M; Strein, Elisabeth; Anderson, Nicholas C; Wu, Pei-Tzu; Jenekhe, Samson A; Ginger, David S · Nano Lett · 2010

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

We describe bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells containing blends of colloidal PbS nanocrystal quantum dots with several new donor-acceptor conjugated polymers. Using photoinduced absorption spectroscopy we found that blends of PbS quantum dots with one polymer, poly(2,3-didecyl-quinoxaline-5,8-diyl-alt-N-octyldithieno[3,2-b:2',3'-d]pyrrole) (PDTPQx), produce significantly more photoinduced charge than blends of PbS with the other donor-acceptor polymers or with traditionally studied polymers like [2-methoxy-5-(3',7'-dimethyloctyloxy)-para-phenylene vinylene] (MDMO-PPV) and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). Photovoltaic devices made with PDTPQx/PbS blends exhibit power conversion efficiencies 10-100 times larger than previously reported BHJ blends made with IR-absorbing quantum dots.