Wei, Hung-YuHung-YuWeiHuang, Jen-HsienJen-HsienHuangHo, Kuo-ChuanKuo-ChuanHoKUO-CHUAN HOHUNG-YU WEI2020-06-162020-06-1620101944-8244https://scholars.lib.ntu.edu.tw/handle/123456789/502502We have developed polymer solar cells featuring a buffer layer of polythiophene (PT) sandwiched between the active layer and the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) layer. We attribute the improvement in power conversion efficiency of these polymer solar cells, relative to that of those based on poly(3-hexylthiophene):[6,6]-phenyl- C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM), to a reduction in the degree of carrier recombination at the junction interface. Because the conductivity and the energy level of PT can be tuned simply by applying a bias to it in an electrolytic solution, we also investigated the effect of the energy level on the devices' performances. The power conversion efficiency of a solar cell containing a PT buffer layer reached 4.18% under AM 1.5 G irradiation (100 mW/cm2). © 2010 American Chemical Society.[SDGs]SDG7Active Layer; Bulk heterojunction; Bulk heterojunction solar cells; Butyric acids; Carrier recombination; Electrolytic solution; Energy level; Energy level tuning; Ethylenedioxythiophenes; Junction interfaces; Methyl esters; PEDOT:PSS; Poly (3-hexylthiophene); Poly(styrene sulfonate); Poly-thiophene; Polymer Solar Cells; Polythiophenes; Power conversion efficiencies; Buffer layers; Conversion efficiency; Electrochemistry; Electrolytic analysis; Esters; Fatty acids; Solar cells; Sulfur compounds; Tuning; Heterojunctions; polymer; polythiophene; thiophene derivative; chemistry; electrode; equipment; equipment design; letter; materials testing; power supply; radiation exposure; solar energy; ultraviolet radiation; Electric Power Supplies; Electrodes; Equipment Design; Equipment Failure Analysis; Materials Testing; Polymers; Solar Energy; Thiophenes; Ultraviolet Raysjournal article10.1021/am100076aWOS:000277977400002