Improving charge transport of P3HT:PCBM organic solar cell using MoO3 nanoparticles as an interfacial buffer layer

In this work, P3HT:PCBM based organic solar cells (OSCs) were fabricated. We investigated the protection of PEDOT:PSS from active layer using the solution processed molybdenum oxide nanoparticles layer (MoO 3 NPs, ≤100 nm). The device structure was ITO/ZnO/P3HT: PCBM/MoO 3 /PEDOT:PSS/Ag. A thin film MoO 3 NPs was spin-coated and it acts as a hole transporting layer between the active layer and PEDOT:PSS. The MoO 3 NPs based device showed an improved short circuit current compared without MoO 3 NP layer. The pristine OSCs showed short circuit current density ( J sc ) of 11.56 mA/cm 2 and PCE of 3.70% under AM 1.5G (100 mW/cm 2 ). MoO 3 NPs based device showed an increased PCE of 4.11% with J sc of 12.74 mA/cm 2 . MoO 3 NPs also decreased the charge recombination and resistance of the OSCs.