Integration of Inkjet Printed Graphene as a Hole Transport Layer in Organic Solar Cells

Kastner, Julia; Tomarchio, Flavia; Decorde, Nicolas; Kehrer, Matthias; Hesser, Günter; Fuchsbauer, Anita

doi:10.3390/mi14101858

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Integration of Inkjet Printed Graphene as a Hole Transport Layer in Organic Solar Cells

by

Julia Kastner

^1,*

,

Flavia Tomarchio

²,

Nicolas Decorde

²,

Matthias Kehrer

³,

Günter Hesser

³ and

Anita Fuchsbauer

^1,†

¹

Functional Surfaces and Nanostructures, Profactor GmbH, 4407 Steyr-Gleink, Austria

²

Cambridge Graphene Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FA, UK

³

Center of Surface- and Nanoanalytics, Johannes Kepler University, 4040 Linz, Austria

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

Current address: Hueck Folien GmbH, 4342 Baumgartenberg, Austria.

Micromachines 2023, 14(10), 1858; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14101858

Submission received: 18 August 2023 / Revised: 25 September 2023 / Accepted: 26 September 2023 / Published: 28 September 2023

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Graphene-Based Metamaterial Solar Energy Devices)

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Abstract

This work demonstrates the green production of a graphene ink for inkjet printing and its use as a hole transport layer (HTL) in an organic solar cell. Graphene as an HTL improves the selective hole extraction at the anode and prevents charge recombination at the electronic interface and metal diffusion into the photoactive layer. Graphite was exfoliated in water, concentrated by iterative centrifugation, and characterized by Raman. The concentrated graphene ink was incorporated into inverted organic solar cells by inkjet printing on the active polymer in an ambient atmosphere. Argon plasma was used to enhance wetting of the polymer with the graphene ink during printing. The argon plasma treatment of the active polymer P3HT:PCBM was investigated by XPS, AFM and contact angle measurements. Efficiency and lifetime studies undertaken show that the device with graphene as HTL is fully functional and has good potential for an inkjet printable and flexible alternative to PEDOT:PSS.

Keywords: graphene; inkjet printing; organic solar cells; hole transport layer

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MDPI and ACS Style

Kastner, J.; Tomarchio, F.; Decorde, N.; Kehrer, M.; Hesser, G.; Fuchsbauer, A. Integration of Inkjet Printed Graphene as a Hole Transport Layer in Organic Solar Cells. Micromachines 2023, 14, 1858. https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14101858

AMA Style

Kastner J, Tomarchio F, Decorde N, Kehrer M, Hesser G, Fuchsbauer A. Integration of Inkjet Printed Graphene as a Hole Transport Layer in Organic Solar Cells. Micromachines. 2023; 14(10):1858. https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14101858

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kastner, Julia, Flavia Tomarchio, Nicolas Decorde, Matthias Kehrer, Günter Hesser, and Anita Fuchsbauer. 2023. "Integration of Inkjet Printed Graphene as a Hole Transport Layer in Organic Solar Cells" Micromachines 14, no. 10: 1858. https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14101858

APA Style

Kastner, J., Tomarchio, F., Decorde, N., Kehrer, M., Hesser, G., & Fuchsbauer, A. (2023). Integration of Inkjet Printed Graphene as a Hole Transport Layer in Organic Solar Cells. Micromachines, 14(10), 1858. https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14101858

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Integration of Inkjet Printed Graphene as a Hole Transport Layer in Organic Solar Cells

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