Poly(3-hexylthiophene) incorporated with metallic nanoparticles: optoelectronic properties in context of organic solar cell

Solar cells are employed to convert solar energy into electrical energy. High-cost and inherent environmental issues associated with commercially available inorganic solar cell production demand development of new alternatives. An obvious alternative in this context is organic material-based solar cells owing to their low cost and simplicity of production. Although, organic solar cells have achieved high conversion efficiencies (greater than 18%), the low stability and limited lifetime have hampered their use on commercial scale. Improvement in the optoelectronic properties of donor and acceptor materials is the primary method for improvement in its efficiency. Herein, we report incorporation of different metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) such as silver (Ag), gold (Au), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), and nickel (Ni) in poly(3-hexylthiophene), P3HT, the most widely used donor material, and compared their optoelectronic properties. The size and morphology of the synthesized P3HT-MNPs were determined by atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and zatasizer while metal-polymer interactions were studied by FTIR spectroscopy. Finally, the effect of incorporation of different MNPs in P3HT on the optoelectronic properties was evaluated by UV–Vis spectrophotometry and cyclic voltammetry. A significant change in the optoelectronic properties by incorporation of different MNPs in P3HT opens possibilities of tuning the donor materials as per energy levels of acceptor material.