High photovoltage multiple-heterojunction organic solar cells incorporating interfacial metallic nanoclusters

We demonstrate high open circuit voltage ${\mathrm{(V}}_{\mathrm{oc}})$ organic photovoltaic (PV) cells that incorporate two, three, or five stacked, thin heterojunctions (HJs) consisting of Cu-phthalocyanine as a donor, and 3,4,9,10 perylenetetracarboxylic bis-benzimidazole as an acceptor. Ultrathin (∼5 Å average thickness) layers of Ag clusters are placed between each HJ to serve as recombination centers for unpaired charges that are photogenerated in the device’s interior. High power conversion efficiencies with high $V_{\mathrm{oc}}$ have been demonstrated in cells containing up to five optically active HJs and four interstitial metallic recombination regions. The power conversion efficiencies of the two and three HJ cells under one sun, AM 1.5 illumination are ${\eta }_p\text{=2.5±0.1\%}$ and ${\eta }_p\text{\hspace{0.17em}2.3±0.1\%,}$ with $V_{\mathrm{oc}}\text{=0.93±0.05}$ and $\text{1.20±0.05\hspace{0.17em}}\mathrm{V},$ respectively. These values of ${\eta }_p$ are more than twice that of a comparable single-junction cell based on the same materials, where ${\eta }_p\text{=1.1±0.1\%.}$