Single‐wall carbon nanotube–polymer solar cells

Abstract
Investigation of single‐wall carbon nanotube (SWNT)–polymer solar cells has been conducted towards developing alternative lightweight, flexible devices for space power applications. Photovoltaic devices were constructed with regioregular poly(3‐octylthiophene)‐(P3OT) and purified, >95% w/w, laser‐generated SWNTs. The P3OT composites were deposited on ITO‐coated polyethylene terapthalate (PET) and I–V characterization was performed under simulated AM0 illumination. Fabricated devices for the 1.0% w/w SWNT–P3OT composites showed a photoresponse with an open‐circuit voltage Voc of 0.98 V and a short‐circuit current density (Isc) of 0.12 mA/cm2. Future optimization of carrier transport and exciton dissociation within these novel photovoltaic systems is proposed to derive from incorporation of nanostructure–SWNT complexes into the polymer. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.