Enhanced thermal stability of a polymer solar cell blend induced by electron beam irradiation in the transmission electron microscope
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2017

We show by in situ microscopy that the effects of electron beam irradiation during transmission electron microscopy can be used to lock microstructural features and enhance the structural thermal stability of a nanostructured polymer:fullerene blend. Polymer:fullerene bulk-heterojunction thin films show great promise for use as active layers in organic solar cells but their low thermal stability is a hindrance. Lack of thermal stability complicates manufacturing and influences the lifetime of devices. To investigate how electron irradiation affects the thermal stability of polymer:fullerene films, a model bulk-heterojunction film based on a thiophene-quinoxaline copolymer and a fullerene derivative was heat-treated in-situ in a transmission electron microscope. In areas of the film that exposed to the electron beam the nanostructure of the film remained stable, while the nanostructure in areas not exposed to the electron beam underwent large phase separation and nucleation of fullerene crystals. UV–vis spectroscopy shows that the polymer:fullerene films are stable for electron doses up to 2000 kGy.

Thermal stability

In-situ transmission electron microscopy

Organic solar cells

Electron irradiation

Crosslinking

Författare

Olof Bäcke

Chalmers, Fysik, Eva Olsson Group

Camilla Lindqvist

Chalmers, Kemi och kemiteknik, Tillämpad kemi

Amaia Diaz de Zerio Mendaza

Chalmers, Kemi och kemiteknik, Tillämpad kemi

Stefan Gustafsson

Chalmers, Fysik, Eva Olsson Group

Ergang Wang

Chalmers, Kemi och kemiteknik, Tillämpad kemi

Mats Andersson

Chalmers, Kemi och kemiteknik, Tillämpad kemi

Christian Müller

Chalmers, Kemi och kemiteknik, Tillämpad kemi

Per Magnus Kristiansen

Paul Scherrer Institut

University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland, School of Enginnering

Eva Olsson

Chalmers, Fysik, Eva Olsson Group

Ultramicroscopy

0304-3991 (ISSN) 1879-2723 (eISSN)

Vol. 176 Spec. Issue 23-30

Ämneskategorier

Polymerkemi

Annan fysik

DOI

10.1016/j.ultramic.2017.03.013

Mer information

Senast uppdaterat

2022-04-05