Stability of the Performance of CuO and Au Nanoparticles Incorporated Polymer Solar Cells

The stability of polymer-based organic solar cells is a crucial factor for the commercialization of solar cells. Testing of organic-inorganic nanostructures in polymer solar cells (PSCs) would be a better option to minimize the drawbacks due to the short lifetime. In this study, PSCs were fabricated incorporating gold (Au) and copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles(NPs) in the active layer of the device. Bulk heterojunction blend of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) was used as the active material and poly-(4,3-ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) was used as the hole transport layer (HTL) in fabrication. The electrical parameters of the fabricated devices showed a significant improvement after incorporating both CuO and Au NPs with the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.139%. The relevant short circuit current (Jsc), open-circuit voltage (Voc) and fill factor (FF) were 7.206 mAcm-2, 0.66 V, and 66 respectively. The stability measurements were obtained for a 20-day period. These measurements are clearly indicated that the CuO NPs have a significant influence on the stability of the PSCs.