Abstract
Recent developments in solution processable single junction polymer solar cells have led to a significant
improvement in power conversion efficiencies from 5% to beyond 9%. While much of the initial
efficiency improvements were driven through judicious design of donor polymers, it is the engineering
of device architectures through the incorporation of inorganic nanostructures and better processing
that has continued the efficiency gains. Inorganic nano-components such as carbon nanotubes,
graphene and its derivatives, metal nanoparticles and metal oxides have played a central role in
improving device performance and longevity beyond those achieved by conventional 3G polymer solar
cells. The present work aims to summarise the diverse roles played by the nanosystems and features in
state of the art next generation (4G) polymer solar cells. The challenges associated with the engineering
of such devices for future deployment are also discussed.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Nanoscale |
Volume | 5 |
Pages (from-to) | 8411-8427 |
ISSN | 2040-3364 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2013 |
Externally published | Yes |