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Research Article | Open Access

Investigation of interface materials for enhancing stability in nonfullerene solar cells

Xuning Zhang1,2,3( ), Yanxun Li3, Ya-Nan Jing2, Shilin Li2, Linge Xiao3, Jianhui Chen1, Hong Zhang3( ), Huiqiong Zhou3( ), Yuan Zhang2( )
Hebei Key Lab of Optic-Electronic Information and Materials, College of Physics Science and Technology, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
School of Chemistry, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
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Abstract

Organic solar cells (OSCs) have attracted attention due to their lightweight nature, flexibility, and facile preparation using solution-based methods. Their efficiency has been further elevated by the rapid advancement of nonfullerene materials, achieving individual cell efficiencies that surpass 19%. Hence, the stability of nonfullerene solar cell production must be scrutinized. The stability of the cathode interface layer significantly impacts the overall stability of OSC devices. PFN-Br, a commonly employed cathode interface material, is susceptible to degradation due to its sensitivity to environmental humidity, consequently compromising the device stability. In this study, we introduce fluorescent dye molecules, rhodamine 101, as cathode interface layers in OSCs to establish device stability and assess their universality. A comparative investigation of rhodamine 101 and PFN-Br devices demonstrates the former’s distinct advantages in terms of thermal stability, photostability, and storage stability even without encapsulation, particularly in an inert environment. By employing the Kelvin probe, we compare the work function of different cathode interface films and reveal that the work function of the rhodamine 101 interface material remains relatively unaffected by environmental factors. As a consequence, the device performance stability is significantly enhanced. The application of such fluorescent dye molecules extends the scope of cathode interface layers, amplifies device stability, and propels industrialization.

Keywords

interface materialdevice stabilitybimolecular recombinationwork function

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Energy Materials and Devices
Volume 2 Issue 1,
March 2024
Article number: 9370033
DOI: 10.26599/EMD.2024.9370033
Cite this article:
Zhang X, Li Y, Jing Y-N, et al. Investigation of interface materials for enhancing stability in nonfullerene solar cells. Energy Materials and Devices, 2024, 2(1): 9370033. https://doi.org/10.26599/EMD.2024.9370033

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Received: 18 December 2023
Revised: 22 March 2024
Accepted: 25 March 2024
Published: 29 March 2024
© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Tsinghua University Press.

The articles published in this open access journal are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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