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Conjugated Polymer:TiO2 Nanocomposite Solar Cells Based on P3HT Nanoparticles

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 March 2011

B. Harihara Venkatraman ,
Akshay Kokil ,
Soumitra Satapathi ,
Jayant Kumar  and
Dhandapani Venkataraman*
B. Harihara Venkatraman
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, U.S.A.
Akshay Kokil
Affiliation:
Center for Advanced Materials and Department of Physics & Applied Physics, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, U.S.A.
Soumitra Satapathi
Affiliation:
Center for Advanced Materials and Department of Physics & Applied Physics, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, U.S.A.
Jayant Kumar
Affiliation:
Center for Advanced Materials and Department of Physics & Applied Physics, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, U.S.A.
Dhandapani Venkataraman*
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, U.S.A.
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Abstract

There is widespread interest in developing efficient solar cells derived from conjugated polymers and TiO2. The conjugated polymer can act as a light harvesting dye as well as a hole transport material, and can potentially replace both the ruthenium dye and the I3-/I- couple in the DSSCs. Herein, we report a novel and facile approach of using conjugated polymer nanoparticles to make conjugated polymer:TiO2 nanocomposite based solar cell. Nanoparticles from poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) were made using mini-emulsion technique. In this work we report on incorporation of these P3HT nanoparticles into nanoporous titania. Device characteristics made using P3HT nanoparticle sensitized solar cells were measured. These devices showed a short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 0.207 mA/cm2, open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.62 V and 0.07% (η) efficiency.

Keywords

electrical propertiesnanoscalesimulation
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1312: Symposium HH/II/JJ – Polymer-Based Materials and Composites—Synthesis, Assembly and Applications , 2011 , mrsf10-1312-ii09-06
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

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References

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