Plasmonic effects of copper nanoparticles in polymer photovoltaic devices for outdoor and indoor applications

Abstract

The use of metal nanoparticles (NPs) that can trigger localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) is an effective method for improving the performance of organic photovoltaics (OPVs). Currently, most plasmonic NPs are based on noble metals, including gold and silver; their high cost limits their commercial applications in the cost-effective OPVs. Herein, copper (Cu) NPs, which are more abundant and cheaper, are adopted to fabricate OPVs. To avoid oxidation of Cu NPs, they are positioned at the cathode interface, so that their fabrication could be implemented in an inert environment. The resulting OPVs exhibited improved power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) under illumination at 1 sun, and the device enhancement could be attributed to the LSPR effects of Cu NPs. Further, their potential to enhance the performance of OPVs under indoor lighting conditions is evaluated. The enhancement factor of PCEs was higher, while the light source had a lower color temperature. It could be due to the fact that the main plasmonic band of the Cu NPs is localized in the red spectral range. The results reveal the consideration of matching between the LSPR spectral range and the emission spectra of the artificial light sources is very critical for indoor applications.