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The interplay between structure, processing, and properties in organic photovoltaic devices: how to translate recent laboratory-scale developments to modules

Part of: Polymers and Soft Matter

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 May 2015

Caroline Grand  and
John R. Reynolds
Caroline Grand
Affiliation:
School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
John R. Reynolds*
Affiliation:
School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
*
Address all correspondence John R. Reynolds at[email protected]
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Abstract

The design of π-conjugated molecules and polymers has driven the increase in efficiency of bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaic devices from <1% to over 12%. The pathways to generation of free charge carriers are still being uncovered. By focusing on blends of conjugated polymers with fullerenes, recent work has highlighted the impact of the design of donor–acceptor polymers on optoelectronic properties and phase-separated morphologies. This morphology of the active layer is largely controlled by processing conditions, such as use of processing additives. Developing a deep understanding of the impact of polymer chemistry and processing at the laboratory scale is key to translating the technology of organic photovoltaics from the research scale to large-area modules.

Type
Polymers/Soft Matter Prospective Articles
Information
MRS Communications , Volume 5 , Issue 2 , June 2015 , pp. 155 - 167
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2015 

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