Manipulating the Morphology
of P3HT–PCBM Bulk
Heterojunction Blends with Solvent Vapor Annealing
- Publication date
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Abstract
Using grazing incidence X-ray scattering, we observe
the effects
of solvent vapors upon the morphology of poly(3-hexylthiophene)–phenyl-C<sub>61</sub>-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT–PCBM) bulk heterojunction
thin film blends in real time; allowing us to observe morphological
rearrangements that occur during this process as a function of solvent.
We detail the swelling of the P3HT crystallites upon the introduction
of solvent and the resulting changes in the P3HT crystallite morphology.
We also demonstrate the ability for tetrahydrofuran vapor to induce
crystallinity in PCBM domains. Additionally, we measure the nanoscale
phase segregated domain size as a function of solvent vapor annealing
and correlate this to the changes observed in the crystallite morphology
of each component. Finally, we discuss the implications of the morphological
changes induced by solvent vapor annealing on the device properties
of BHJ solar cells
