Fully-sprayed flexible polymer solar cells with a cellulose-graphene electrode. (March 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: La Notte, Luca; Cataldi, Pietro; Ceseracciu, Luca; Bayer, Ilker S.; Athanassiou, Athanassia; Marras, Sergio; Villari, Enrica; Brunetti, Francesca; Reale, Andrea
• Is Part Of: Materials today energy. Volume 7(2018)
• Page Start: 105
• Page End: 112
• Publication Date: 2018-03
• Subjects: Organic photovoltaics -- Spray coating -- Flexible electronics -- Polymer solar cells -- Graphene nanoplatelets -- Lamination; Energy development -- Periodicals; Energy industries -- Periodicals; Power resources -- Periodicals; Energy policy -- Periodicals; Energy development; Energy industries; Energy policy; Power resources; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 621.042
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mtener.2017.12.010
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2468-6069

Abstract

Abstract: Organic photovoltaic (OPV) technology provides energy where conventional photovoltaics are difficult to implement. The rise of efficiency due to the introduction of new polymers and the definition of strategies for the scale-up push OPV devices towards large-scale manufacturing. Here, spray coating has been employed as an easy and versatile scalable technique to deposit all the layers of flexible polymer solar cells starting from PET/ITO/Ag/ITO substrates. A foldable nanocomposite based on cellulose and sprayed graphene nanoplatelets has been applied as top electrode through lamination. The overall fabrication process has been conducted in air by using commercial materials. A significant power conversion efficiency higher than 3% has been achieved and the high quality of the lamination process has been demonstrated by bending and adhesion tests. Such photovoltaic devices are the first fully-sprayed prototypes on plastic substrate and the novel structure has also been effective for devices with active area up to 0.75 cm 2 . Graphical abstract: Highlights: Spray coating technique is used to entirely fabricate flexible polymer solar cells. A foldable conductive cellulose composed of a biopolymer and graphene nanoplatelets is adopted as novel top electrode. The fully sprayed devices exhibit efficiency over 3%. The new electrode is also effective for large area devices. The implementation of plastic and paper-like materials renders the solar cells applicable in flexible and wearable electronics.