Polymer solar cells with gold nanoclusters decorated multi-layer graphene as transparent electrode

A thin layer of ultraviolet-ozone (UVO) treated gold (Au) is introduced on multi-layer graphene (MLG) to enable the MLG as an effective anode for polymer solar cells (PSCs). By optimizing the Au thickness and the durations of the UVO treatments at different stages, MLG PSCs with enhanced fill factor and power conversion efficiency are obtained, exhibiting better performance compared with MLG devices directly modified with UVO and poly(3,4-ethylenedioythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate). Further analysis shows that UVO treated Au provides favorable band alignment at the MLG/polymer interface. Moreover, the improved interfacial contact and shortened UVO durations reduce the series resistance of PSCs significantly. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3664120]