Performance improvement of inverted polymer solar cells by doping Au nanoparticles into TiO2 cathode buffer layer

Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) were synthesized by a facile method. Then Au NPs with different sizes and weight ratios were blended into the TiO2 cathode buffer layer of the polymer solar cells (PSCs) with a blend of poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) as the active layer. The light absorption of the devices was enhanced by incorporating Au NPs into the Bulk heterojunction (BHJ) polymer solar cells, which support localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). The results showed that the short-circuit current density (J(SC)) was apparently enhanced by doping Au NPs into the buffer layer while maintaining the open-circuit voltage (V-OC) and fill factor(FF), leading to an increase in power conversion efficiency. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.