Preparation of Composite Films of a Conjugated Polymer and C60NWs and Their Photovoltaic Application

Composite films of conjugated polymers, such as poly[2-methoxy-5-(3′,7′-dimethyloctyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MDMO-PPV) and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), with C60 nanowhiskers (C60NWs) were prepared. The photoluminescence originating from the conjugated MDMO-PPV polymers was effectively quenched in the composite film, indicating a strong interaction between the conjugated polymer and C60NWs. The photovoltaic devices were fabricated using C60NW (conjugated polymer) composite films, resulting in a power conversion efficiency of ~0.01% for P3HT with short length thin C60NWs, which is higher than that previously reported for thick C60 nanorods. The present study gives new guidance on the selection of the type of C60NWs and the appropriate polymer for new photovoltaic devices.