Understanding and Addressing the Performance Asymmetry Issue in Semitransparent Laminated Organic Photovoltaic Devices
Abstract Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) offer a promising solution for indoor energy harvesting. However, fundamental investigations to understand and optimize industrial processes such as roll‐to‐roll lamination for upscaling remain limited. This study investigates a critical failure mode in the upscaling of OPVs. One major challenge for thick semitransparent laminated OPV devices is current–voltage ( J–V ) asymmetry, where performance under cathode‐side illumination exceeds that under anode‐side illumination. X‐ray reflectivity, neutron reflectivity, and drift‐diffusion simulations reveal that a vertically stratified polymer‐rich region within the bulk of photoactive layers is the main cause of asymmetric J–V characteristics. Based on this fundamental understanding, a model is proposed to explain the mechanism, wherein electron extraction is hindered by the polymer‐rich region during anode illumination. By exploring upscaling‐compatible blends, cathode/anode‐balanced, high‐performing, and air‐stable semitransparent laminated OPVs are developed for indoor applications using commercially available PV‐X‐plus material. These findings provide valuable guidance for designing OPVs with balanced performance, facilitating roll‐to‐roll adoption and commercialization.
Authors
- Gulzada Beket (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-2354-4815)
- Leonie Pap (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2648-3162)
- Anton Zubayer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5327-609X)
- Samiran Bairagi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5879-3264)
- Olle Inganäs (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6243-1450)
- Jochen Stahn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6711-0592)
- Kenneth Järrendahl (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2749-8008)
- Fredrik Eriksson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2982-5914)
- Xabier Rodríguez‐Martínez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6715-4392)
- Fan Fu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3647-4086)
- Thomas Österberg
- Nakul Jain (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6965-190X)
- Huagui Lai
- Uli Würfel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4151-8538)
- Feng wei Gao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2582-1740)
- Jonas Bergqvist (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6259-3804)
Institutions
- Linköping University (SE)
- Universidade da Coruña (ES)
- University of Freiburg (DE)
- Paul Scherrer Institute (CH)
- Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (DE)
- Thinfilm (Sweden) (SE)
- Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (CH)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Functional Materials
- Published
- 2025-06-13
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202502951
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Organic Electronics and Photovoltaics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.46
Funders
- Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
- Stiftelsen för Strategisk Forskning
- Paul Scherrer Institut
- Vetenskapsrådet