Next-generation polymer solar cell materials: designed control of interfacial variables.

Abstract

Organic bulk heterojunction solar cells (BHJSCs) are the focus of a burgeoning research effort. While extensive characterization is performed in the course of many reported experimental studies, correlation of performance and physical parameters among studies done in different laboratories is low, pointing out the need to address some aspects of BHJSC active materials that have received relatively little attention. This Perspective describes how a new polymer additive series described by Lobez et al. in this issue of ACS Nano, along with some emerging morphological tools and scanning electronic nanoprobes, can help fill in some of this needed insight. A brief statistical discussion of interstudy correlations and a summary of past work on additives and interfacial studies are presented.