IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v15y2024i1d10.1038_s41467-024-44878-z.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Waterproof and ultraflexible organic photovoltaics with improved interface adhesion

Author

Listed:
  • Sixing Xiong

    (RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS))

  • Kenjiro Fukuda

    (RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS)
    RIKEN)

  • Kyohei Nakano

    (RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS))

  • Shinyoung Lee

    (RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS))

  • Yutaro Sumi

    (The University of Tokyo)

  • Masahito Takakuwa

    (The University of Tokyo
    The University of Tokyo)

  • Daishi Inoue

    (RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS))

  • Daisuke Hashizume

    (RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS))

  • Baocai Du

    (RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS)
    The University of Tokyo)

  • Tomoyuki Yokota

    (The University of Tokyo
    The University of Tokyo)

  • Yinhua Zhou

    (Huazhong University of Science and Technology)

  • Keisuke Tajima

    (RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS))

  • Takao Someya

    (RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS)
    RIKEN
    The University of Tokyo)

Abstract

Ultraflexible organic photovoltaics have emerged as a potential power source for wearable electronics owing to their stretchability and lightweight nature. However, waterproofing ultraflexible organic photovoltaics without compromising mechanical flexibility and conformability remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate waterproof and ultraflexible organic photovoltaics through the in-situ growth of a hole-transporting layer to strengthen interface adhesion between the active layer and anode. Specifically, a silver electrode is deposited directly on top of the active layers, followed by thermal annealing treatment. Compared with conventional sequentially-deposited hole-transporting layers, the in-situ grown hole-transporting layer exhibits higher thermodynamic adhesion between the active layers, resulting in better waterproofness. The fabricated 3 μm-thick organic photovoltaics retain 89% and 96% of their pristine performance after immersion in water for 4 h and 300 stretching/releasing cycles at 30% strain under water, respectively. Moreover, the ultraflexible devices withstand a machine-washing test with such a thin encapsulation layer, which has never been reported. Finally, we demonstrate the universality of the strategy for achieving waterproof solar cells.

Suggested Citation

  • Sixing Xiong & Kenjiro Fukuda & Kyohei Nakano & Shinyoung Lee & Yutaro Sumi & Masahito Takakuwa & Daishi Inoue & Daisuke Hashizume & Baocai Du & Tomoyuki Yokota & Yinhua Zhou & Keisuke Tajima & Takao , 2024. "Waterproof and ultraflexible organic photovoltaics with improved interface adhesion," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-44878-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44878-z
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-44878-z
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-024-44878-z?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Xun Zhao & Yihao Zhou & Jing Xu & Guorui Chen & Yunsheng Fang & Trinny Tat & Xiao Xiao & Yang Song & Song Li & Jun Chen, 2021. "Soft fibers with magnetoelasticity for wearable electronics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-11, December.
    2. Hiroaki Jinno & Kenjiro Fukuda & Xiaomin Xu & Sungjun Park & Yasuhito Suzuki & Mari Koizumi & Tomoyuki Yokota & Itaru Osaka & Kazuo Takimiya & Takao Someya, 2017. "Stretchable and waterproof elastomer-coated organic photovoltaics for washable electronic textile applications," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 2(10), pages 780-785, October.
    3. Ning Li & Christoph J. Brabec, 2017. "Washing away barriers," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 2(10), pages 772-773, October.
    4. Martin Kaltenbrunner & Matthew S. White & Eric D. Głowacki & Tsuyoshi Sekitani & Takao Someya & Niyazi Serdar Sariciftci & Siegfried Bauer, 2012. "Ultrathin and lightweight organic solar cells with high flexibility," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 3(1), pages 1-7, January.
    5. Yang Zou & Puchuan Tan & Bojing Shi & Han Ouyang & Dongjie Jiang & Zhuo Liu & Hu Li & Min Yu & Chan Wang & Xuecheng Qu & Luming Zhao & Yubo Fan & Zhong Lin Wang & Zhou Li, 2019. "A bionic stretchable nanogenerator for underwater sensing and energy harvesting," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.
    6. Wenyan Yang & Zhenghui Luo & Rui Sun & Jie Guo & Tao Wang & Yao Wu & Wei Wang & Jing Guo & Qiang Wu & Mumin Shi & Hongneng Li & Chuluo Yang & Jie Min, 2020. "Simultaneous enhanced efficiency and thermal stability in organic solar cells from a polymer acceptor additive," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-10, December.
    7. Giulia Tregnago, 2019. "Washable solar cells," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 4(2), pages 90-90, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Soo Won Heo, 2020. "Vacuum-Free Fabrication Strategies for Nanostructure-Embedded Ultrathin Substrate in Flexible Polymer Solar Cells," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-10, October.
    2. Hongfa Zhao & Minyi Xu & Mingrui Shu & Jie An & Wenbo Ding & Xiangyu Liu & Siyuan Wang & Cong Zhao & Hongyong Yu & Hao Wang & Chuan Wang & Xianping Fu & Xinxiang Pan & Guangming Xie & Zhong Lin Wang, 2022. "Underwater wireless communication via TENG-generated Maxwell’s displacement current," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. Wenxi Huang & Qiongling Ding & Hao Wang & Zixuan Wu & Yibing Luo & Wenxiong Shi & Le Yang & Yujie Liang & Chuan Liu & Jin Wu, 2023. "Design of stretchable and self-powered sensing device for portable and remote trace biomarkers detection," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.
    4. Ali Matin Nazar & King-James Idala Egbe & Azam Abdollahi & Mohammad Amin Hariri-Ardebili, 2021. "Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Energy Harvesting in Ocean: A Review on Application and Hybridization," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-33, September.
    5. Hung-Chin Wu & Shayla Nikzad & Chenxin Zhu & Hongping Yan & Yang Li & Weijun Niu & James R. Matthews & Jie Xu & Naoji Matsuhisa & Prajwal Kammardi Arunachala & Reza Rastak & Christian Linder & Yu-Qing, 2023. "Highly stretchable polymer semiconductor thin films with multi-modal energy dissipation and high relative stretchability," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    6. Yijia Lu & Han Tian & Jia Cheng & Fei Zhu & Bin Liu & Shanshan Wei & Linhong Ji & Zhong Lin Wang, 2022. "Decoding lip language using triboelectric sensors with deep learning," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    7. Yuxuan Zhang & You Meng & Liqiang Wang & Changyong Lan & Quan Quan & Wei Wang & Zhengxun Lai & Weijun Wang & Yezhan Li & Di Yin & Dengji Li & Pengshan Xie & Dong Chen & Zhe Yang & SenPo Yip & Yang Lu , 2024. "Pulse irradiation synthesis of metal chalcogenides on flexible substrates for enhanced photothermoelectric performance," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    8. Zhengyang Kong & Elvis K. Boahen & Dong Jun Kim & Fenglong Li & Joo Sung Kim & Hyukmin Kweon & So Young Kim & Hanbin Choi & Jin Zhu & Wu Ying & Do Hwan Kim, 2024. "Ultrafast underwater self-healing piezo-ionic elastomer via dynamic hydrophobic-hydrolytic domains," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    9. Jiachen Wang & Yuto Ochiai & Niannian Wu & Kiyohiro Adachi & Daishi Inoue & Daisuke Hashizume & Desheng Kong & Naoji Matsuhisa & Tomoyuki Yokota & Qiang Wu & Wei Ma & Lulu Sun & Sixing Xiong & Baocai , 2024. "Intrinsically stretchable organic photovoltaics by redistributing strain to PEDOT:PSS with enhanced stretchability and interfacial adhesion," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    10. Ying Liu & Chan Wang & Zhuo Liu & Xuecheng Qu & Yansong Gai & Jiangtao Xue & Shengyu Chao & Jing Huang & Yuxiang Wu & Yusheng Li & Dan Luo & Zhou Li, 2024. "Self-encapsulated ionic fibers based on stress-induced adaptive phase transition for non-contact depth-of-field camouflage sensing," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    11. Sakeena Saifi & Xiao Xiao & Simin Cheng & Haotian Guo & Jinsheng Zhang & Peter Müller-Buschbaum & Guangmin Zhou & Xiaomin Xu & Hui-Ming Cheng, 2024. "An ultraflexible energy harvesting-storage system for wearable applications," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-16, December.
    12. Wenbo Liu & Youning Duo & Jiaqi Liu & Feiyang Yuan & Lei Li & Luchen Li & Gang Wang & Bohan Chen & Siqi Wang & Hui Yang & Yuchen Liu & Yanru Mo & Yun Wang & Bin Fang & Fuchun Sun & Xilun Ding & Chi Zh, 2022. "Touchless interactive teaching of soft robots through flexible bimodal sensory interfaces," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, December.
    13. Lei Zhang & Lu Chen & Siheng Wang & Shanshan Wang & Dan Wang & Le Yu & Xu Xu & He Liu & Chaoji Chen, 2024. "Cellulose nanofiber-mediated manifold dynamic synergy enabling adhesive and photo-detachable hydrogel for self-powered E-skin," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    14. Kang An & Wenkai Zhong & Feng Peng & Wanyuan Deng & Ying Shang & Huilei Quan & Hong Qiu & Cheng Wang & Feng Liu & Hongbin Wu & Ning Li & Fei Huang & Lei Ying, 2023. "Mastering morphology of non-fullerene acceptors towards long-term stable organic solar cells," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    15. Bincy, Thanjan Shaji & Prasanna, Asokan Poorani Sathya & Balaji, A. Sakthi & Sivasankar, K. Janani & Thiruvadigal, D. John & Anithkumar, Monunith & Kim, Sang-Jae, 2024. "Computational analysis of starch for sustainable power generation towards integrated wearable IoT," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 370(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-44878-z. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.