Solid-state solar cells consisting of polythiophene-porphyrin composite films

Sandwich-type solid-state solar cells using polythiophene-porphyrin composite films were fabricated. A spin-coated film of poly(3-dodecylthiophene) (P3DT) was fabricated on a old electrode. Next, an electropolymerized polythiophene film was superimposed on the surface of the spin-coated P3DT film by electrochemical polymerization of bithiophene (BiTh) with repeated redox cycles in the 0-+2 V region. Then, tetrathienylporphyrin (TThP) was further assembled on the polythiophene-modified electrode by using the same electrochemical polymerization procedure (1 or 10 cycles), to obtain polythiophene-porphyrin modified gold electrodes. Finally, an aluminum electrode was deposited on the polythiophene-porphyrin modified gold electrode by vacuum deposition, forming the sandwich-type solid-state solar cells. The morphological characterizations of the films were carried out by scanning electron microscopy. The thickness of the organic layer decreased from ∼5 μm to ∼3 μn by performing TThP polymerization. The amount of porphyrin moiety in the composite film was larger for the modified electrode after 10 cycles of electrochemical TThP polymerization than for that after 1 cycle of TThP polymerization. The resultant photocurrent increased with scanning cycle of TThP polymerization in the 400-600 nm region. The combination of polythiophene and porphyrin in the electrochemically modified electrode is one of the useful systems for photocurrent generation.