Nanoparticle-polymer and polymer-polymer blend composite photovoltaics

Abstract
The main factors inhibiting higher conversion efficiencies in plain polymer layer sandwich photovoltaic devices are the low exciton dissociation efficiency and the low carrier mobilities in the polymer. We consider two different blend approaches for increasing these qualities. NiO (or LiNiO) hole transporting nanoparticles are blended into the photoactive polymer MEH-DOO-PPV in an attempt to increase hole mobility across the device. Improvements to device performance were not significant at these blend concentrations. Devices made using blends of hole and electron transporting polymers M3EH-PPV and CN-ether-PPV showed increased dissociation efficiency and gave power conversion efficiencies of up to 0.6% with stable electrodes.