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Delocalization and dielectric screening of charge transfer states in organic photovoltaic cells

Author

Listed:
  • B. Bernardo

    (The Pennsylvania State University)

  • D. Cheyns

    (IMEC)

  • B. Verreet

    (IMEC)

  • R.D. Schaller

    (Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory
    Northwestern University)

  • B.P. Rand

    (IMEC
    Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University)

  • N.C. Giebink

    (The Pennsylvania State University)

Abstract

Charge transfer (CT) states at a donor–acceptor heterojunction have a key role in the charge photogeneration process of organic solar cells, however, the mechanism by which these states dissociate efficiently into free carriers remains unclear. Here we explore the nature of these states in small molecule–fullerene bulk heterojunction photovoltaics with varying fullerene fraction and find that the CT energy scales with dielectric constant at high fullerene loading but that there is a threshold C60 crystallite size of ~4 nm below which the spatial extent of these states is reduced. Electroabsorption measurements indicate an increase in CT polarizability when C60 crystallite size exceeds this threshold, and that this change is correlated with increased charge separation yield supported by CT photoluminescence transients. These results support a model of charge separation via delocalized CT states independent of excess heterojunction offset driving energy and indicate that local fullerene crystallinity is critical to the charge separation process.

Suggested Citation

  • B. Bernardo & D. Cheyns & B. Verreet & R.D. Schaller & B.P. Rand & N.C. Giebink, 2014. "Delocalization and dielectric screening of charge transfer states in organic photovoltaic cells," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-7, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:5:y:2014:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms4245
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4245
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    Cited by:

    1. Xinjun He & Feng Qi & Xinhui Zou & Yanxun Li & Heng Liu & Xinhui Lu & Kam Sing Wong & Alex K.-Y. Jen & Wallace C. H. Choy, 2024. "Selenium substitution for dielectric constant improvement and hole-transfer acceleration in non-fullerene organic solar cells," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    2. Sudhi Mahadevan & Taili Liu & Saied Md Pratik & Yuhao Li & Hang Yuen Ho & Shanchao Ouyang & Xinhui Lu & Hin-Lap Yip & Philip C. Y. Chow & Jean-Luc Brédas & Veaceslav Coropceanu & Shu Kong So & Sai-Win, 2024. "Assessing intra- and inter-molecular charge transfer excitations in non-fullerene acceptors using electroabsorption spectroscopy," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.

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