Pegg, Lara-Jane and Hatton, Ross A.. (2012) Nanoscale geometric electric field enhancement in organic photovoltaics. ACS Nano, Vol.6 (No.6). pp. 4722-4730. ISSN 1936-0851

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Abstract

Generic design rules for electrode–organic semiconductor contacts that transcend specific materials are urgently required to guide the development of new electrodes and provide a framework for engineering this important class of interface. Herein a novel nanostructured window electrode is utilized in conjunction with three-dimensional electrostatic modeling to elucidate the importance of geometric electric field enhancement effects at the electrode interfaces in organic photovoltaics. The results of this study show that nanoscale protrusions at the electrode surfaces in organic photovoltaics dramatically improve the efficiency of photogenerated charge carrier extraction to the external circuit and that the origin of this improvement is the local amplification of the electrostatic field in the vicinity of said protrusions. This wholly geometric approach to engineering electrodes at the nanoscale is materials generic and can be employed to enhance the efficiency of charge carrier injection or extraction in a wide range of organic electronic devices.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	Q Science > QC Physics
Divisions:	Faculty of Science > Chemistry Faculty of Science > Physics
Journal or Publication Title:	ACS Nano
Publisher:	American Chemical Society
ISSN:	1936-0851
Date:	2012
Volume:	Vol.6
Number:	No.6
Number of Pages:	9
Page Range:	pp. 4722-4730
Identification Number:	10.1021/nn3007042
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
Funder:	Engineering and Physical Science Research Council and Royal Academy of Engineering
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URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/51173

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