Polymer—nanocrystal hybrid solar cells

One extensively studied material system among the nanocrystal-polymer blends is zinc oxide (ZnO) in combination with MDMO-PPV or P3HT [273-282]. Beek et al. presented the first polymer solar cells containing ZnO nanoparticles, reaching power conversion efficiencies of 1.6% [273]. In this case the nanoparticles were prepared separately and then intermixed with MDMO-PPV in solution. Shortly after this study the Janssen group presented another route to ZnO-polymer hybrid solar cells by forming the nanocrystals in situ inside the film by applying a precursor [274]. Here, diethylzinc served as the precursor and was spin cast in blends with MDMO-PPV. Process-... 

In bulk (or dispersed) heterojunctions, nanocrystals are blended into the polymer to create a heterogeneous composite with a high interface surface area. In this hybrid solar cell concept, photo induced charge separation is favored between high electron affinity inorganic semiconductors and relatively low ionization potential polymer. The maximum power conversion efficiency has reached 2.8 % under AM 1.5 illumination condition by using the composite of tetrapods of CdSe nanocrystals and MDMO-PPV [4], while the PCE of the device based on the composite of CdTe nanorods and MEH-PPV is only 0.052 % in similar conditions [5]. 

L. Zhao, Z. Lin, Crafting Semiconductor Organic-Inorganic Nanocomposites via Placing Conjugated Polymers in Intimate Contact with Nanocrystals for Hybrid Solar Cells. Adv. Mater. 2012,24,4353-4368. 

M. He, F. Qiu, Z. Lin, Toward High-Performance Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Solar Cells Bringing Conjugated Polymers and Inorganic Nanocrystals in Close Contact. The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 2013,4,1788-1796. 

Y. Zhou, M. Eck, M. Kruger, Bulk-Heterojunction Hybrid Solar Cells Based on Colloidal Nanocrystals and Conjugated Polymers. Energy Environmental Science 2010,3,1851. 

Liu, J., T. Tanaka, K. Sivula, A.P. Alivisatos, and J.M.J. Frechet. 2004. Employing end-functional polythiophene to control the morphology of nanocrystal-polymer composites in hybrid solar cells. 

K. (2009) Efficient conjugated polymer-ZnSe and -PbSe nanocrystals hybrid photovoltaic cells through full solar spectrum utilization. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 93, 1208-1213. 

Several polymer/polyelectrolyte-nanocrystal hybrid devices have been fabricated seeking to exploit the electro and photoluminescent properties of such material [179-188]. Device fabrication in all these cases is by low-cost self-assembly based techniques. These devices utilize thin films of these hybrids obtained either by multilayer deposition or drop/spin casting methods. Thus, solar cells have been made from poly(2-hexylthiophene)-CdSe nanorod multilayers, lasers from drop cast films of CdSe-titania composites and an infrared emitter from multilayers... 

Semiconducting Nanocrystal/Conjugated Polymer Composites for Applications in Hybrid Polymer Solar Cells... 

Hybrid bulk heterojunction solar cells based on the inorganic nanocrystals and conjugated polymers... 

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