Organic Solar Cells: Fundamentals, Devices, and Upscaling

Organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells have the potential to make a significant contribution to the increasing energy needs of the future. In this book, 15 chapters written by selected experts explore the required characteristics of components present in an OPV device, such as transparent electrodes, electron- and hole-conducting layers, as well as electron donor and acceptor materials. Design, preparation, and evaluation of these materials targeting highest performance are discussed. This includes contributions on modeling down to the molecular level to device-level electrical and optical testing and modeling, as well as layer morphology control and characterization. The integration of the different components in device architectures suitable for mass production is described. Finally, the technical feasibility and economic viability of large-scale manufacturing using fast inexpensive roll-to-roll deposition technologies is assessed.

Table of Contents

Part I: Materials and Device Architectures
Chapter 1: Solution-Processed Donors
Chapter 2: Small-Molecule and Vapor-Deposited Organic Photovoltaics
Chapter 3: Acceptor Materials for Solution-Processed Solar Cells
Chapter 4: Interfacial Layers
Chapter 5: Electrodes in Organic Photovoltaic Cells
Chapter 6: Tandem and Multijunction Organic Solar Cells

Part II: Characterization, Modeling, and Fundamental Insights
Chapter 7: Bulk Heterojunction Morphology Control and Characterization
Chapter 8: Optical Modeling and Light Management in Organic Photovoltaic Devices
Chapter 9: Spectroscopy of Charge-Carrier Dynamics—From Generation to Collection
Chapter 10: Modeling OPV Performance—Morphology, Transport, and Recombination
Chapter 11: Modeling the Electronic and Optical Processes in Organic Solar Cells: Density Functional Theory and Beyond

Part III: Technology, Lifetime, and Production
Chapter 12: Flexible Substrates and Barriers
Chapter 13: Large-Area Processing of Organic Photovoltaics
Chapter 14: Module Design, Fabrication, and Characterization
Chapter 15: Stability of Organic Photovoltaic Cells: Failure Mechanisms and Operational Stability