A critical review on decade progress and future prospects of P3HT:PCBM bulk heterojunction solar cells

Abstract

In recent years, fl-conjugated polymer:fullerene-based bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells have received significant attention since combining a narrow P3HT donor and a high electron affinity PCBM acceptor blend could help achieve high efficiencies. In order to compete with other organic solar cell materials, further optimization of P3HT:PCBM-based BHJ has to be done to improve the device's efficiency. This review traces the historical development of bulk heterojunction, architecture, and its PV characterizations, presents the various work functions of the active layer, different charge transport interface layers and electrodes of P3HT:PCBM-based BHJ solar cells, and P3HT:PCBM-based inverted and tandem device structures. Besides, the PCE performance of different material combinations is listed better to understand the P3HT:PCBM-based BHJ solar cells. This review concludes by discussing the optimization of different PV parameters and fabrication technologies of the BHJ.