Ruthenium based metallopolymer grafted reduced graphene oxide as a new hybrid solar light harvester in polymer solar cells

Vinoth, R and Babu, Ganesh S and Bharti, Vishal and Gupta, V and Navaneethan, M and Bhat, Venkataprasad S and Muthamizhchelvan, C and Ramamurthy, Praveen C and Sharma, Chhavi and Aswal, Dinesh K and Hayakawa, Yasuhiro and Neppolian, B (2017) Ruthenium based metallopolymer grafted reduced graphene oxide as a new hybrid solar light harvester in polymer solar cells. In: SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, 7 .

PDF Sci_Rep_7_43133_2017.pdf - Published Version Download (2MB)

Abstract

A new class of pyridyl benzimdazole based Ru complex decorated polyaniline assembly (PANI-Ru) was covalently grafted onto reduced graphene oxide sheets (rGO) via covalent functionalization approach. The covalent attachment of PANI-Ru with rGO was confirmed from XPS analysis and Raman spectroscopy. The chemical bonding between PANI-Ru and rGO induced the electron transfer from Ru complex to rGO via backbone of the conjugated PANI chain. The resultant hybrid metallopolymer assembly was successfully demonstrated as an electron donor in bulk heterojunction polymer solar cells (PSCs). A PSC device fabricated with rGO/PANI-Ru showed an utmost similar to 6 fold and 2 fold enhancement in open circuit potential (V-oc) and short circuit current density (J(sc)) with respect to the standard device made with PANI-Ru (i.e., without rGO) under the illumination of AM 1.5 G. The excellent electronic properties of rGO significantly improved the electron injection from PANI-Ru to PCBM and in turn the overall performance of the PSC device was enhanced. The ultrafast excited state charge separation and electron transfer role of rGO sheet in hybrid metallopolymer was confirmed from ultrafast spectroscopy measurements. This covalent modification of rGO with metallopolymer assembly may open a new strategy for the development of new hybrid nanomaterials for light harvesting applications.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
Publisher:	NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP, MACMILLAN BUILDING, 4 CRINAN ST, LONDON N1 9XW, ENGLAND
Additional Information:	Copy right for this article belongs to the NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP, MACMILLAN BUILDING, 4 CRINAN ST, LONDON N1 9XW, ENGLAND
Department/Centre:	Division of Mechanical Sciences > Materials Engineering (formerly Metallurgy)
Date Deposited:	21 Mar 2017 09:17
Last Modified:	21 Mar 2017 09:17
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/56400

Actions (login required)

View Item