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Polymers
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Advances in Polymeric Organic Optoelectronic Materials and Devices
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Advances in Polymeric Organic Optoelectronic Materials and Devices

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 May 2026 | Viewed by 1355

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Xiaoling Ma

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Luminescence and Optical Information, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China
Interests: organic optoelectronic materials and devices
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, "Advances in Polymeric Organic Optoelectronic Materials and Devices", aims to present the latest breakthroughs and innovations in the rapidly evolving field of polymeric and organic material applications in optoelectronic technologies. Topics of interest include novel conjugated polymers, polymer blends, and hybrid organic–inorganic systems that are used in high-performance optoelectronic devices, such as polymer solar cells, light-emitting diodes, photodetectors, photoelectric synapses, etc. We particularly seek contributions that highlight the fundamental mechanisms, material–device relationships, and emerging applications in energy, sensing, and communication. We welcome original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that push the boundaries of organic optoelectronic science and technology, fostering the exchange of knowledge and future developments in this dynamic research area.

Dr. Xiaoling Ma
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • conjugated polymers
  • advanced optoelectronic materials
  • organic semiconductors
  • polymer solar cells
  • polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs)
  • photodetectors
  • photoelectric synapse

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 15287 KB  
Article
Tuning Optical Absorption and Device Performance in P3HT:PCBM Organic Solar Cells Using Annealed Silver Thin Films
by Alaa Y. Mahmoud
Polymers 2026, 18(2), 254; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18020254 - 17 Jan 2026
Viewed by 115
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the effect of annealing ultrathin silver (Ag) films of varying thicknesses (1–6 nm) on both their optical absorption and the performance of poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) organic solar cells (OSCs). The Ag [...] Read more.
In this study, we investigated the effect of annealing ultrathin silver (Ag) films of varying thicknesses (1–6 nm) on both their optical absorption and the performance of poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) organic solar cells (OSCs). The Ag films were deposited on indium tin oxide (ITO) anodes and annealed at 300 °C for 1–2 h to modify the anodic interface. The optical and electrical properties of the resulting devices were systematically characterized and optimized. The results revealed that a 1 nm AgO layer annealed for 2 h significantly enhanced the device performance, yielding a 6% increase in power conversion efficiency compared to the standard configuration. This improvement is attributed to two main factors: (i) a 25% increase in light absorption of the AgO/P3HT:PCBM film due to localized surface plasmon resonance of Ag nanoparticles and (ii) an 11% reduction in series resistance resulting from the favorable alignment of the Ag work function with the ITO anode and the polymer HOMO, which facilitates efficient hole extraction. These findings highlight the potential of ultrathin, annealed Ag/AgO interfacial layers as an effective strategy to enhance light absorption and charge transport in OSCs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Polymeric Organic Optoelectronic Materials and Devices)
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15 pages, 3345 KB  
Article
Reassessing Plasmonic Interlayers: The Detrimental Role of Au Nanofilms in P3HT:PCBM Organic Solar Cells
by Alaa Y. Mahmoud
Polymers 2025, 17(24), 3262; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17243262 - 8 Dec 2025
Viewed by 563
Abstract
This study examines the impact of incorporating a thin gold (Au) nanofilm as an interfacial buffer layer between the anode and the active layer in poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl):[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM) organic solar cells. A nominal 6 nm Au layer was thermally [...] Read more.
This study examines the impact of incorporating a thin gold (Au) nanofilm as an interfacial buffer layer between the anode and the active layer in poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl):[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM) organic solar cells. A nominal 6 nm Au layer was thermally evaporated onto indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates and subsequently annealed at 550 °C for 30 and 60 min before completing the device fabrication. The optical, morphological, and electrical consequences of introducing these annealed Au films were systematically evaluated. Optical measurements revealed a marked enhancement in light absorption: the unannealed Au/P3HT:PCBM film showed a 54% increase at 560 nm, rising to 79% after 60 min of annealing, attributed to localized surface plasmon resonance. In contrast, electrical characterization indicated a decline in overall photovoltaic performance, with all parameters decreasing except for a modest 2% increase in fill factor. Atomic force microscopy further revealed that the actual Au nanofilm thickness was approximately 16 nm—significantly higher than the nominal 6 nm—leading to increased roughness and aggregation. The excessive thickness and roughened morphology of the annealed Au film likely hindered charge transport and reduced exciton generation by scattering and reflecting incident light away from the active layer. These findings highlight the competing effects of Au nanofilms: while they enhance optical absorption, they simultaneously degrade electrical performance. This underscores the importance of carefully optimizing nanofilm thickness and morphology to achieve a balanced interplay between plasmonic enhancement and electronic transport in organic solar cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Polymeric Organic Optoelectronic Materials and Devices)
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11 pages, 1151 KB  
Article
Visible-Pump Terahertz Probe Measurements of Embedded Polymer Conductivity in Organic Matrices
by Clyde Varner and Edwin Heilweil
Polymers 2025, 17(23), 3169; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17233169 - 28 Nov 2025
Viewed by 412
Abstract
We report measurements of ultrafast photoinduced charge separation and recombination processes in the conjugated donor–acceptor (D-A) polymer PSBTBT, both as pure film and blended in various polymer matrices. Using time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy (TRTS), time-dependent photoconductivity is measured for samples with PSBTBT weight fractions [...] Read more.
We report measurements of ultrafast photoinduced charge separation and recombination processes in the conjugated donor–acceptor (D-A) polymer PSBTBT, both as pure film and blended in various polymer matrices. Using time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy (TRTS), time-dependent photoconductivity is measured for samples with PSBTBT weight fractions (WPSBTBT:WPE/PEG/PS) of 2.0% dispersed in high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and polystyrene (PS). Charge carrier generation is an intrinsic feature of conductive polymers that occurs on sub-picosecond and longer timescales and is attributed to initially generated dissociation of bound polaron pairs into free carriers that reside on polymer chains, or to adjacent interchain charge transfer and migration. Both interchain and interfacial charge transfer contribute to the measured photoconductivity of the samples, which is found to increase as a function of increasing local polarity and an increasingly hydrogen-bonded environment. Pure-PSBTBT polymer film, PSBTBT dispersed in PS, and PSBTST dispersed in HDPE were all found to exhibit shorter photoconductive free-carrier long-time signal decay than PSBTBT in a hydrogen-bonded, semi-crystalline PEG environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Polymeric Organic Optoelectronic Materials and Devices)
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