Solution-processed bulk-heterojunction organic solar cells employing Ir complexes as electron donors
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Abstract:
To explore enhancing photocurrent in organic solar cells (OSCs) via harvesting triplet excitons, two novel bicycloiridium complexes (R1 and R2) are designed and synthesized. Conventional bulk-heterojunction triplet OSCs are solution processed using R1 or R2 as sole electron donors and phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) as the electron acceptor. A decent short circuit current (Jsc) of 6.5 mA cm−2 is achieved though the overlap between the absorption spectrum (with ∼550 nm absorption onset) of R2 and the solar flux is relatively small. With an open circuit voltage of 0.74 V and a fill factor of 0.42, an encouraging power conversion efficiency of 2.0% is achieved in the OSCs based on R2 and PC71BM without any processing additives and post-treatments. Our preliminary result demonstrates the possibility of utilizing Ir complexes as sole electron donors in OSCs, which extends available soluble small molecules for OSCs.Keywords:
Photocurrent
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Shewanella oneidensis
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Shewanella
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Thermocleavable Materials for Polymer Solar Cells with High Open Circuit Voltage—A Comparative Study
The search for polymer solar cells giving a high open circuit voltage was conducted through a comparative study of four types of bulk-heterojunction solar cells employing different photoactive layers. As electron donors the thermo-cleavable polymer poly-(3-(2-methylhexyloxycarbonyl)dithiophene) (P3MHOCT) and unsubstituted polythiophene (PT) were used, the latter of which results from thermo cleaving the former at 310 °C. As reference, P3HT solar cells were built in parallel. As electron acceptors, either PCBM or bis-[60]PCBM were used. In excess of 300 solar cells were produced under as identical conditions as possible, varying only the material combination of the photo active layer. It was observed that on replacing PCBM with bis[60]PCBM, the open circuit voltage on average increased by 100 mV for P3MHOCT and 200 mV for PT solar cells. Open circuit voltages approaching 1 V were observed for the PT:bis[60]PCBM solar cells and a maximum conversion efficiency of 1.3% was obtained for solar cells with P3MHOCT:PCBM as the photoactive material. For the reference solar cells maximum efficiencies of 2.1 and 2.4% were achieved for P3HT:PCBM and P3HT:bis[60]PCBM, respectively. Despite special measures taken in terms of substrate design and device processing, a substantial spread in the photovoltaic properties was generally observed. This spread could not be correlated with the optical properties of the solar cells, the thickness of the photo active layer or the electrode deposition conditions of the aluminum top electrode.
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Polythiophene
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ABSTRACT The possibility that graphite electrodes can serve as the direct electron donor for microbially catalyzed reductive dechlorination was investigated with Geobacter lovleyi . In an initial evaluation of whether G. lovleyi could interact electronically with graphite electrodes, cells were provided with acetate as the electron donor and an electrode as the sole electron acceptor. Current was produced at levels that were ca. 10-fold lower than those previously reported for Geobacter sulfurreducens under similar conditions, and G. lovleyi anode biofilms were correspondingly thinner. When an electrode poised at −300 mV (versus a standard hydrogen electrode) was provided as the electron donor, G. lovleyi effectively reduced fumarate to succinate. The stoichiometry of electrons consumed to succinate produced was 2:1, the ratio expected if the electrode served as the sole electron donor for fumarate reduction. G. lovleyi effectively reduced tetrachloroethene (PCE) to cis -dichloroethene with a poised electrode as the sole electron donor at rates comparable to those obtained when acetate serves as the electron donor. Cells were less abundant on the electrodes when the electrodes served as an electron donor than when they served as an electron acceptor. PCE was not reduced in controls without cells or when the current supply to cells was interrupted. These results demonstrate that G. lovleyi can use a poised electrode as a direct electron donor for reductive dechlorination of PCE. The ability to colocalize dechlorinating microorganisms with electrodes has several potential advantages for bioremediation of subsurface chlorinated contaminants, especially in source zones where electron donor delivery is challenging and often limits dechlorination.
Geobacter sulfurreducens
Geobacter
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Reductive Dechlorination
Pentachlorophenol
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While polymer acceptors are promising fullerene alternatives in the fabrication of efficient bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells, the range of efficient material systems relevant to the “all‐polymer” BHJ concept remains narrow, and currently limits the perspectives to meet the 10% efficiency threshold in all‐polymer solar cells. This report examines two polymer acceptor analogs composed of thieno[3,4‐ c ]pyrrole‐4,6‐dione (TPD) and 3,4‐difluorothiophene ([2F]T) motifs, and their BHJ solar cell performance pattern with a low‐bandgap polymer donor commonly used with fullerenes (PBDT‐TS1; taken as a model system). In this material set, the introduction of a third electron‐deficient motif, namely 2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole (BT), is shown to (i) significantly narrow the optical gap ( E opt ) of the corresponding polymer (by ≈0.2 eV) and (ii) improve the electron mobility of the polymer by over two orders of magnitude in BHJ solar cells. In turn, the narrow‐gap P2TPDBT[2F]T analog ( E opt = 1.7 eV) used as fullerene alternative yields high open‐circuit voltages ( V OC ) of ≈1.0 V, notable short‐circuit current values ( J SC ) of ≈11.0 mA cm −2 , and power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) nearing 5% in all‐polymer BHJ solar cells. P2TPDBT[2F]T paves the way to a new, promising class of polymer acceptor candidates.
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A fullerene bisadduct can enhance the efficiency of polymer:fullerene bulk heterojunction solar cells. The bisadduct has a LUMO that is 100 meV higher compared to that of [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). This increases the open-circuit voltage of polymer:fullerene bulk heterojunction solar cells based on poly(3-hexylthio phene) and bisadduct PCBM to 0.73 V, while maintaining high fill factors and currents.
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The involvement of Shewanella spp. in biocorrosion is often attributed to their Fe(III)-reducing properties, but they could also affect corrosion by using metallic iron as an electron donor. Previously, we isolated Shewanella strain 4t3-1-2LB from an acetogenic community enriched with Fe(0) as the sole electron donor. Here, we investigated its use of Fe(0) as an electron donor with fumarate as an electron acceptor and explored its corrosion-enhancing mechanism. Without Fe(0), strain 4t3-1-2LB fermented fumarate to succinate and CO2, as was shown by the reaction stoichiometry and pH. With Fe(0), strain 4t3-1-2LB completely reduced fumarate to succinate and increased the Fe(0) corrosion rate (7.0 ± 0.6)-fold in comparison to that of abiotic controls (based on the succinate-versus-abiotic hydrogen formation rate). Fumarate reduction by strain 4t3-1-2LB was, at least in part, supported by chemical hydrogen formation on Fe(0). Filter-sterilized spent medium increased the hydrogen generation rate only 1.5-fold, and thus extracellular hydrogenase enzymes appear to be insufficient to explain the enhanced corrosion rate. Electrochemical measurements suggested that strain 4t3-1-2LB did not excrete dissolved redox mediators. Exchanging the medium and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging indicated that cells were attached to Fe(0). It is possible that strain 4t3-1-2LB used a direct mechanism to withdraw electrons from Fe(0) or favored chemical hydrogen formation on Fe(0) through maintaining low hydrogen concentrations. In coculture with an Acetobacterium strain, strain 4t3-1-2LB did not enhance acetogenesis from Fe(0). This work describes a strong corrosion enhancement by a Shewanella strain through its use of Fe(0) as an electron donor and provides insights into its corrosion-enhancing mechanism.IMPORTANCEShewanella spp. are frequently found on corroded metal structures. Their role in microbial influenced corrosion has been attributed mainly to their Fe(III)-reducing properties and, therefore, has been studied with the addition of an electron donor (lactate). Shewanella spp., however, can also use solid electron donors, such as cathodes and potentially Fe(0). In this work, we show that the electron acceptor fumarate supported the use of Fe(0) as the electron donor by Shewanella strain 4t3-1-2LB, which caused a (7.0 ± 0.6)-fold increase of the corrosion rate. The corrosion-enhancing mechanism likely involved cell surface-associated components in direct contact with the Fe(0) surface or maintenance of low hydrogen levels by attached cells, thereby favoring chemical hydrogen formation by Fe(0). This work sheds new light on the role of Shewanella spp. in biocorrosion, while the insights into the corrosion-enhancing mechanism contribute to the understanding of extracellular electron uptake processes.
Shewanella
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Electron donor
Shewanella oneidensis
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