Enhancement of Energy Conversion Efficiency in Organic Solar Cell Using Nanoparticles

Doping nanomaterials such as the nanoparticles, nanorods, nanoprisms, etc. into composite organic solar cells (OSCs) have recently attracted considerable research interest to obtain higher energy conversion efficiency. Among them, doping of Ag, ZnO nanoparticles into photoactive layers of multilayered composite OSCs are proposed to enhance the photocurrent due to the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect. The size as well as the geometry of these nanoparticles are the most important key factors to contribute to LSPR effect. In this work we have investigated the LSPR effects of Ag and ZnO nanoparticles on the photoactive layer in a regular structure of OSC as ITO/photo-active layer doped with nanoparticles/ buffer layer/Al. The photoactive layer such as P3HT:PCBM doping with nanoparticles can be modeled as the light absorbed medium in which its physics behavior is altered by LSPR. Changing the size of Ag and ZnO nanoparticles, i.e. the radius, in P3HT:PCBM active layers will tune their absorption spectrum. The mechanical properties of nanoparticles doping in OSC structures based on P3HT:PCBM will also be discussed.