Full Paper

Effect of Oligothienyl Chain Length on Tuning the Solar Cell Performance in Fluorene-Based Polyplatinynes†

  1. Li Liu1,2,
  2. Cheuk-Lam Ho1,
  3. Wai-Yeung Wong1,*,
  4. Kai-Yin Cheung3,
  5. Man-Kin Fung3,
  6. Wai-Ting Lam3,
  7. Aleksandra B. Djurišić3,*,
  8. Wai-Kin Chan4

Article first published online: 1 SEP 2008

DOI: 10.1002/adfm.200800439

Issue

Advanced Functional Materials

Advanced Functional Materials

Volume 18, Issue 18, pages 2824–2833, September 23, 2008

Additional Information

How to Cite

Liu, L., Ho, C.-L., Wong, W.-Y., Cheung, K.-Y., Fung, M.-K., Lam, W.-T., Djurišić, A. B. and Chan, W.-K. (2008), Effect of Oligothienyl Chain Length on Tuning the Solar Cell Performance in Fluorene-Based Polyplatinynes. Advanced Functional Materials, 18: 2824–2833. doi: 10.1002/adfm.200800439

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Chemistry and Centre for Advanced Luminescence Materials, Hong Kong Baptist University Waterloo Road, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong (P. R. China)

  2. 2

    Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for the Synthesis and Application of Organic Functional Molecules and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Hubei University, Wuhan 430062 (P. R. of China)

  3. 3

    Department of Physics, The University of Hong Kong Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (P. R. China)

  4. 4

    Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (P. R. China)

*Department of Chemistry and Centre for Advanced Luminescence Materials, Hong Kong Baptist University Waterloo Road, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong (P. R. China).

  1. †

    This work was supported by a CERG Grant from the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (HKBU 202607P) and a Faculty Research Grant from the Hong Kong Baptist University (FRG/06-07/II-63) (to W.-Y. Wong). Financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (20671033) (to L. Liu) and from the Strategic Research Theme, University Development Fund, and Seed Funding Grant and Outstanding Young Researcher Award from the University of Hong Kong (to A. B. Djurišić) is also acknowledged. Supporting information is available online at Wiley Interscience or from the author.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 16 SEP 2008
  2. Article first published online: 1 SEP 2008
  3. Manuscript Received: 28 MAR 2008

Funded by

  • National Natural Science Foundation of China. Grant Number: 20671033
  • Strategic Research Theme
  • University Development Fund
  • Seed Funding

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Keywords:

  • fluorenes;
  • oligothiophenes;
  • photovoltaic devices;
  • platinum;
  • polymeric materials

Graphical Abstract

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Tuning the polymer solar cell efficiency and charge transport properties effectively in soluble fluorene-derived polyplatinynes by varying the chain length of oligothienyl components is described. This tuning strategy for solar energy conversion provides a novel access toward high-performance polymer solar cells and demonstrates the potential of conjugated metallopolymers for efficient power generation.

Abstract

A series of solution-processable and strongly visible-light absorbing polyplatinynes containing oligothienyl–fluorene ring hybrids were synthesized and characterized. These rigid-rod organometallic materials are soluble in polar organic solvents and show intense absorptions in the visible spectral region, rendering them excellent candidates for bulk heterojunction polymer solar cells. The photovoltaic behavior depends significantly on the number of thienyl rings along the polymer chain, and some of these polymer solar cells show high power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of up to 2.9% and a peak external quantum efficiency to 83% under AM1.5 simulated solar illumination. The effect of oligothienyl chain length on improving the polymer solar cell efficiency and on their optical and charge transport properties is elucidated in detail. At the same blend ratio of 1:5, the light-harvesting capability and PCE increase markedly with increasing number of thienyl rings. The power dependencies of the solar cell parameters (including the short-circuit current density, open-circuit voltage, fill-factor, and PCE) were also examined. The present work opens up an attractive avenue to developing conjugated metallopolymers with broad and strong solar energy absorptions and tunable solar cell efficiency and supports the potential of metalated conjugated polymers for efficient power generation.

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