Table 2.5. Photovoltaic properties of polymer-based solar cells . Two-dimensional conjugated polymers named PBDTT-4S-TT and PBDTT-4S-BDD were fabricated and synthesized using a benzo [1,2-b:4,5-b′] dithiophene unit with 4-methylthio substituted thiophene side chains.
Solar cells utilizing organic material as the dynamic layer changing over a photon stream into an electron stream have been known and revealed for a long while [143–145] while the term polymer, solar cells is generally later with a history that basically length the primary decade of the new centuries .
As a promising energy technology for the future, polymer solar cells have improved remarkably in recent years and power conversion efficiencies of up to 6.5% were reported for small area devices (1–10 mm 2) (Kim et al., 2007). Unfortunately, these values have not yet been sustained for the long lifetimes needed for commercial maturity.
Polymer-fullerene solar cells have a huge elite among others. The accompanying polymer sun oriented cells have the best exhibitions of polymer solar cells and its properties like PCE—control transformation proficiency, Voc—open circuit voltage, FF—fill factor and Jsc—short out current, are given in Table 19.2.
Polymer solar cell (PSC), also called organic photovoltaic solar cell (OPV), is an emerging solar cell, benefitting from recent advances in nano-structured and functional energy materials and thin films, making it a cutting edge applied science and engineering research field.
The first polymer solar cell is made of mixed poly [2-methoxy-5- (2′-ethylhexyloxy)-p-phenylene vinylene] (PPV), C60, and its numerous variants with high energy conversion efficiency . This technique contributed to a further increase in the age of polymer products for the capture of solar energy.