Optoelectronic Performances of Au and CuO Nanoparticles Incorporated Organic Photovoltaic Devices

Direct conversion of Solar energy to electrical energy using nanostructured organic/inorganic hybrid semiconductors is one of the best solutions for today’s energy crisis. Researchers are turning their attention to the incorporation of metal or transition metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) into the active layer of polymer solar cells (PSCs) to increase the power conversion efficiency. The design approaches for the incorporation of metal NPs such as gold (Au) are based on localized plasmonic resonance effect (LSPR) which can be used to enhance the optical absorption in photovoltaic devices. Meanwhile, the transition metal oxide NPs such as Cuprous oxide (CuO) NPs in the active layer play a key role as light-harvesting centers, charge particle hopping centers, and surface morphology developers enabling a considerable reduction in the physical thickness of photovoltaic absorber layers. In this study, Au and CuO NPs are incorporated into poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)/ [6:6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid (PCBM) active layer to enhance the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the PSCs. The influence of the Au and CuO NPs in the P3HT/PCBM was investigated using UV–Vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Electrical characteristics of the devices were analyzed from J–V characteristics and external quantum efficiency measurement to observe the performance of the P3HT: PCBM PSCs. The addition of Au and CuO NPs increased the power conversion efficiency by 48.7% compared to the reference cell. The short circuit current(Jsc) of the optimum cell was measured at 7.218 mA/cm2. Also, the external quantum efficiency(EQE) increased from 45% to 68.5%, showing 52.2% enhancement.