The effect of fullerene derivatives ratio on P3HT-based organic solar cells

The effect of fullerene ratio PCBM and ICBA on the P3HT-based solar cells were investigated under ambient conditions; the ratio was varied in the range of 1-3. The optical, morphological, structural, and electrical characteristics were investigated both in dark and under illumination. The absorption spectra have revealed a decrease in the intensities by increasing the fullerene ratio and the peaks were blue shifted. Moreover, florescence spectra demonstrated charge transfer from P3HT to fullerene molecules due to uniform distribution of fullerene domains within the P3HT matrix. XRD patterns have shown a strong reduction in the crystallinity by increasing the ratio of fullerene within the blend. Furthermore, AFM images showed smother surface corresponding to pinholes with higher ratio while rougher surface with lower fullerene ratio was observed. The best performance was recorded for P3HT:PCBM (3:1) with V-OC = 0.58 volt, J(SC) = 9.9 mA.cm(-2) and PCE 1.82%. The fill factor (FF) was found to be small for all studied samples which could be associated with the preparation conditions where all samples were prepared under normal ambient. Devices which demonstrated best performance were attributed to improved crystallinity and enhanced light absorption of the active layer. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.