Lead Sulphide Nanocrystal: Conducting Polymer Solar Cells

TL;DR

This paper reports on photovoltaic devices made from PbS nanocrystals and a conducting polymer, demonstrating promising efficiency and ideality factors, with a novel synthesis method improving fabrication.

Contribution

Introduces a new single-pot synthesis for PbS nanocrystal and conducting polymer composites used in solar cells, enhancing fabrication and performance.

Findings

Power conversion efficiency of 0.7% under AM1.5 illumination

Single wavelength conversion efficiency of 1.1%

Excellent ideality factor of 1.15

Abstract

In this paper we report photovoltaic devices fabricated from PbS nanocrystals and the conducting polymer poly MEH-PPV. This composite material was produced via a new single-pot synthesis which solves many of the issues associated with existing methods. Our devices have white light power conversion efficiencies under AM1.5 illumination of 0.7% and single wavelength conversion efficiencies of 1.1%. Additionally, they exhibit remarkably good ideality factors (n=1.15). Our measurements show that these composites have significant potential as soft optoelectronic materials.