Water-Soluble Polythiophene/Nanocrystalline TiO2 Solar Cells

by Qiquan Qiao & James T. McLeskey, Jr. Applied Physics Letters, 11 Apr 2005 We report the characteristics of polymer/nanocrystalline solar cells fabricated using an environmentally friendly water-soluble polythiophene and TiO2 in a bilayer configuration. The cells were made by dropping the polymer onto a TiO2 nanocrystalline film and then repeatedly sweeping a clean glass rod across the polymer as it dried. The devices showed an open circuit voltage of 0.81 V, a short circuit current density of 0.35 mA/cm2, a fill factor of 0.4, and an energy conversion efficiency of 0.13%. The water-soluble polythiophene showed significant photovoltaic behavior and the potential for use in solar cells. Read the article