Photopically Transparent Organic Solar Cells with Tungsten Oxide-Based Multilayer Electrodes

The tailoring of the average photopic transmittance (APT) of transparent organic solar cells (T-OSCs) has been the greatest challenge in building-integrated photovoltaic applications for future smart solar windows to regulate indoor brightness, maintain a human circadian rhythm, and positively impact human emotions by allowing the observation of the external environment. However, a notorious trade-off exists between the APT and power conversion efficiency (PCE) of T-OSCs, mainly due to the absence of highly conductive and transparent top electrodes, which are a key building block determining the PCE and APT. Herein, we demonstrate a new tungsten oxide (WO3)-based multilayer as a highly conductive and transparent top electrode that provides an excellent APT while maintaining a high PCE in T-OSCs. With the assistance of optical simulation based on a transfer matrix method to calculate the optimum thicknesses of the multilayer electrodes, we achieve the best-performing T-OSC with a PCE of 7.0% and a full device APT of 46.7%, resulting in a high light utilization efficiency of 3.27%, which is superior to that of T-OSCs based on the same photoactive system. Furthermore, superior thermal stability at 85 degrees C in an N2 atmosphere is observed in WO3based T-OSCs, maintaining 98% of the initial PCE after about 231 h. Our findings provide new insights into the development of TOSCs with high efficiency and transparency.

Automated summary

We demonstrate a new tungsten oxide (WO3)-based multilayer as a highly conductive and transparent top electrode for transparent organic solar cells (T-OSCs). By optimizing the thicknesses of the multilayer electrodes using optical simulations, we achieve a T-OSC with a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 7.0% and a full device average photopic transmittance (APT) of 46.7%. Furthermore, the WO3-based T-OSCs exhibit superior thermal stability at 85 degrees C in an N2 atmosphere, maintaining 98% of the initial PCE after about 231 hours.