Metal plasmonic as a mechanism to improve the performance of thin film polymer solar cell : device fabrication and characterization = I-Metal Plasmonic njengendlela Yokuthuthukisa Ukusebenza Kwe-Thin Film Polymer Solar Cell: Ukwenziwa Kwedivayisi Nokuyihlonza.

Abstract

This thesis discusses the results of the investigations on the use of plasmon metal nanoparticles (NPs) to enhance the performance of polymer solar cells, which are promising alternative solar energy converters to silicon-based solar cells. Polymer solar cells offer a cost-effective, flexible solar panel using a solution processing method for the generation of power from solar sources. Several key factors are considered to achieve this goal, including optical absorption, nano-morphology, and charge carrier mobility. The thesis focuses on investigating the potential of various dopants, such as solvent additives, thermal annealing, and metal nanoparticles (NPs), to improve the performance of thin-film organic solar cells (TFOSCs) by enhancing the charge transport processes. This research employed conventional device architectures to study the effectiveness of the active and buffer layers on charge transport and stability. The results have already been published in several internationally referred journals. In this thesis, the synthesized metal NPs were employed as mechanisms to improve the performance of TFOSC incorporated with poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) as the donor material and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC61BM) as the acceptor material. The popular metal NPs such as nickel, (Ni), zinc (Zn), silver (Ag), calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), and cobalt (Co) were used to synthesize various bimetallic composites. Bimetallic nanoparticles such as nickel-doped with zinc bimetallic (Ni/Zn), silver-doped with calcium (Ag/Ca), silver-doped with cobalt (Ag/Co), and silver-doped zinc sulfide (ZnS/Ag) were employed at different functional layers of solar cell structure. Hence, the study employed various spectrometers such as high-resolution transmission and scanning electron microscopy (HRTEM and HRSEM), X-ray diffraction, Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy to investigate the size, morphology, elemental mapping, and optical properties of synthesized metal NPs. HRTEM is indeed a powerful technique for characterizing nanoscale materials, and it can provide valuable insights for confirming the presence of core-shell structures in NPs. Compared to the pristine reference, the blend of metal NPs with active and buffer layers at different concentrations plays a crucial role in augmenting the optical and electrical properties in TFOSC devices. Such increment of optical and electrical properties in this thesis is due to improved short-circuit current (Jsc), fill factors (FFs), and charge carrier mobility, which are significant to enhance the power conversion efficiency (PCE) values in the polymer solar cells. These prominent improvements are due to the presence of localized surface plasmonic resonance (LSPR) effect of TFOSCs. Finally, this thesis provides a series of experimental works fabricated with several metal NPs in TFOSCs at different concentrations.

Iqoqa.

Lo mbhalo weziqu zobudokotela uxoxa ngemiphumela yophenyo ngokusetshenziswa kwe-plasmon metal nanoparticles (NPs) ukuthuthukisa ukusebenza kwamaseli elanga e-polymer, athembisa ezinye iziguquli zamandla elanga kumaseli elanga asekelwe ku-silicon. Amaseli elanga e-polymer anikeza iphaneli yelanga engabizi kakhulu, eguquguqukayo esebenzisa indlela yokucubungula isisombululo sokukhiqiza amandla avela emithonjeni yelanga. Kucatshangelwa izici ezimbalwa ezibalulekile ukufeza lo mgomo, okuhlanganisa ukumuncwa kwe-optical, i-nano-morphology, kanye nokuhamba kwenkampani yenethiwekhi. Lo mbhalo weziqu zobudokotela ugxile ekuphenyeni amandla ama-dopant ahlukahlukene, njengezithasiselo ezincibilikayo, i-thermal annealing, nama-NPs ensimbi, ukuze kuthuthukiswe ukusebenza kwamaseli elanga aphilayo (TFOSCs) amafilimu amancane ngokuthuthukisa izinqubo zokuthutha zokushaja. Lolu cwaningo lusebenzise izakhiwo ezijwayelekile zedivayisi ukuze kufundwe ukusebenza kahle kwezingqimba ezisebenzayo kanye nebhafa ekuthuthweni kokushaja nokuzinza. Imiphumela isivele ishicilelwe kumajenali amaningana okukhulunywa ngawo emhlabeni jikelele.

Lo mbhalo weziqu zobudokotela, ama-NP ensimbi ahlanganisiwe aqashwe njengezindlela zokuthuthukisa ukusebenza kwe-TFOSC ehlanganiswe ne-poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) njengento yokunikela kanye ne-[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC61BM) njengento eyamukelayo. Ama-NP ensimbi adumile afana ne-nickel, (Ni), i-zinc (Zn), isiliva (Ag), i-calcium (Ca), isulfure (S), ne-cobalt (Co) asetshenziselwa ukuhlanganisa izinhlanganisela ezihlukahlukene ze-bimetallic. Ama-nanoparticles e-Bimetallic afana ne-nickel-doped ne-zinc bimetallic (Ni/Zn), i-silver-doped ene-calcium (Ag/Ca), i-silver-doped ne-cobalt (Ag/Co), kanye ne-silver-doped zinc sulfide (ZnS/Ag) asetshenziswa izendlalelo ezahlukene zokusebenza zesakhiwo samaseli elanga. Ngakho-ke, ucwaningo lusebenzise ama-spectrometer ahlukahlukene afana ne-high-resolution transmission kanye ne-scanning electron microscopy (HRTEM kanye ne-HRSEM), i-X-ray diffraction, i-Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy ukuze kuphenywe usayizi, i-morphology, i-elemental mapping, kanye nezakhiwo zamehlo. yama-NP ensimbi ahlanganisiwe. I-HRTEM iyindlela enamandla ngempela yokuhlukanisa izinto ze-nanoscale, futhi inganikeza imininingwane ebalulekile yokuqinisekisa ubukhona bezakhiwo zamagobolondo ayinhloko kuma-NP. Uma kuqhathaniswa nereferensi emsulwa, inhlanganisela yama-NPs ensimbi anezendlalelo ezisebenzayo kanye nebhafa ezindaweni ezigxilile idlala indima ebalulekile ekwandiseni izici zokubona nezikagesi kumadivayisi e-TFOSC. Lokhu kuthuthukiswa okuvelele kungenxa yobukhona bomphumela wendawo we-plasmonic resonance (LSPR) wama-TFOSC.