Poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)-modified metal oxide anode interlayers for stable organic solar cells

A new generation of anode interlayers (AILs) has been introduced in recent years for improving the efficiency and stability of organic solar cell (OSC) devices. Electrode interlayer modification is a simple and effective way of enhancing OSC device performance. We used poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) as an AIL modifier to alter molybdenum trioxide (MoO₃) and vanadium pentoxide (V₂O₅) AILs in OSC devices and compared them with pure metal oxide AILs. Using this modification, average power conversion efficiencies were raised from 5.2 % ± 0.4 % to 6.0 % ± 0.3 % for OSCs with MoO₃-based AILs, and from 6.2 % ± 0.1 % to 6.8 % ± 0.3 % for OSCs with V₂O₅-based AILs. Moreover, the PVP-metal oxide AILs also improved the overall device quality, producing a nanotextured morphology with good optical properties and favorable chemical composition. Beneficial wetting properties for interfacial adhesion between anode and active layer are observed using contact angle measurements. Overall, devices with PVP-modified metal oxide AILs showed promising results with greater device stability compared to pure metal oxide AIL-based OSC devices.