Scaling-Up of Solution-Processable Tungsten Trioxide (WO<sub>3</sub>) Nanoparticles as a Hole Transport Layer in Inverted Organic Photovoltaics

oleh: Atiq Ur Rahman, Aliah El Astal-Quirós, Gianpaolo Susanna, Hamed Javanbakht, Emanuele Calabrò, Giuseppina Polino, Barbara Paci, Amanda Generosi, Flavia Righi Riva, Francesca Brunetti, Andrea Reale

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2024-02-01

Deskripsi

We reported the comparative studies of the optimization of solution-processable tungsten trioxide (WO<sub>3</sub>) as a hole transporting layer (HTL) in inverted organic photovoltaics (OPVs) using spin coating, slot-die coating, and spray coating technologies for scaling-up applications. To facilitate the technology’s transition into commercial manufacturing, it is necessary to explore the role of scalable technologies for low-cost and efficient device fabrication. We investigated the role of diluting WO<sub>3</sub> with isopropanol as an HTL in inverted OPVs to solve the issue of poor wettability of the hydrophobic surface of the PBDB-T: ITIC bulk heterojunction layer. The optimal dilution ratios of WO<sub>3</sub> with isopropanol were 1:4, 1:4 and 1:8 with spin coating, slot-die coating and spray coating techniques, respectively. We evaluated the device performance by conducting a current density–voltage (J-V) analysis, incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) measurements, and ultraviolet–visible (UV-Vis) absorbance spectra for various WO<sub>3</sub> concentrations. The J-V characteristics revealed that slot-die coating resulted in the highest performance, followed by the spray coating technology. We further investigated the impact of the annealing temperature on device performance for both slot-die- and spray-coated diluted WO<sub>3</sub>. The highest device performance was achieved at an annealing temperature of 120 °C for both coating technologies. This research offers valuable insights into the scalable fabrication of inverted OPV devices, paving the way for cost-effective and efficient large-scale production.