Photochromic organic solar cells based on diarylethenes†
Bart W. H. Saes,Martijn M. Wienk
RSC Advances Pub Date : 08/17/2020 00:00:00 , DOI:10.1039/D0RA04508J
Abstract

Photovoltaic devices that switch color depending on illumination conditions may find application in future smart window applications. Here a photochromic diarylethene molecule is used as sensitizer in a ternary bulk heterojunction blend, employing poly(4-butylphenyldiphenylamine) (poly-TPD) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC61BM) for the transport of holes and electrons, respectively. Sandwiched between two electrodes, the blend creates a photochromic photovoltaic device that changes color, light absorption, and photon-to-electron conversion efficiency in the visible spectral range after having been illuminated with UV light.

Graphical abstract: Photochromic organic solar cells based on diarylethenes