In Situ Doping of the PEDOT Top Electrode for All-Solution-Processed Semitransparent Organic Solar Cells.

The development of an ideal solution-processable transparent electrode has been a challenge in the field of all-solution-processed semitransparent organic solar cells (ST-OSCs). We present a novel poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) top electrode for all-solution-processed ST-OSCs through in situ doping of PEDOT:PSS. A strongly polarized long perfluoroalkyl (n = 8) chain-anchored sulfonic acid effectively eliminates insulating PSS and spontaneously crystallizes PEDOT at room temperature, leading to outstanding electrical properties and transparency of PEDOT top electrodes. Doped PEDOT-based ST-OSCs yield a high power conversion efficiency of 10.9% while providing an average visible transmittance of 26.0% in the visible range. Moreover, the strong infrared reflectivity of PEDOT enables ST-OSCs to reject 62.6% of the heat emitted by sunlight (76.7% from infrared radiation), outperforming the thermal insulation capability of commercial tint films. This light management approach using PEDOT enables ST-OSCs to simultaneously provide energy generation and energy savings, making it the first discovery toward sustainable energy in buildings.

Synthesis and Characterization of π-SnS Nanoparticles and Corresponding Thin Films.

Tin sulfide polymorph (π-SnS) nanoparticles exhibit promising optoelectrical characteristics for photovoltaic and hydrogen production performance, mainly because of the possibility of tuning their properties by adjusting the synthesis conditions. This study demonstrates a chemical approach to synthesize π-SnS nanoparticles and the engineering of their properties by altering the Sn precursor concentration (from 0.04 M to 0.20 M). X-ray diffraction and Raman studies confirmed the presence of pure cubic SnS phase nanoparticles with good crystallinity. SEM images indicated the group of cloudy shaped grains, and XPS results confirmed the presence of Sn and S in the synthesized nanoparticles. Optical studies revealed that the estimated energy bandgap values of the as-synthesized π-SnS nanoparticles varied from 1.52 to 1.68 eV. This work highlights the effects of the Sn precursor concentration on the properties of the π-SnS nanoparticles and describes the bandgap engineering process. Optimized π-SnS nanoparticles were used to deposit nanocrystalline π-SnS thin films using the drop-casting technique, and their physical properties were improved by annealing (300 °C for 2 h).