@article{SchwarzeSchellhammerOrtsteinetal.2019,
  author    = {Schwarze, Martin and Schellhammer, Karl Sebastian and Ortstein, Katrin and Benduhn, Johannes and Gaul, Christopher and Hinderhofer, Alexander and Perdigon-Toro, Lorena and Scholz, Reinhard and Kublitski, Jonas and Roland, Steffen and Lau, Matthias and Poelking, Carl and Andrienko, Denis and Cuniberti, Gianaurelio and Schreiber, Frank and Neher, Dieter and Vandewal, Koen and Ortmann, Frank and Leo, Karl},
  title     = {Impact of molecular quadrupole moments on the energy levels at organic heterojunctions},
  series = {Nature Communications},
  volume    = {10},
  journal   = {Nature Communications},
  publisher = {Nature Publ. Group},
  address   = {London},
  issn      = {2041-1723},
  doi       = {10.1038/s41467-019-10435-2},
  pages     = {9},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {The functionality of organic semiconductor devices crucially depends on molecular energies, namely the ionisation energy and the electron affinity. Ionisation energy and electron affinity values of thin films are, however, sensitive to film morphology and composition, making their prediction challenging. In a combined experimental and simulation study on zinc-phthalocyanine and its fluorinated derivatives, we show that changes in ionisation energy as a function of molecular orientation in neat films or mixing ratio in blends are proportional to the molecular quadrupole component along the p-p-stacking direction. We apply these findings to organic solar cells and demonstrate how the electrostatic interactions can be tuned to optimise the energy of the charge-transfer state at the donor-acceptor interface and the dissociation barrier for free charge carrier generation. The confirmation of the correlation between interfacial energies and quadrupole moments for other materials indicates its relevance for small molecules and polymers.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{KegelmannTockhornWolffetal.2019,
  author    = {Kegelmann, Lukas and Tockhorn, Philipp and Wolff, Christian Michael and M{\´a}rquez, Jos{\´e} A. and Caicedo D{\´a}vila, Sebasti{\´a}n and Korte, Lars and Unold, Thomas and Loevenich, Wilfried and Neher, Dieter and Rech, Bernd and Albrecht, Steve},
  title     = {Mixtures of Dopant-Free Spiro-OMeTAD and Water-Free PEDOT as a Passivating Hole Contact in Perovskite Solar Cells},
  series = {ACS applied materials \& interfaces},
  volume    = {11},
  journal   = {ACS applied materials \& interfaces},
  number    = {9},
  publisher = {American Chemical Society},
  address   = {Washington},
  issn      = {1944-8244},
  doi       = {10.1021/acsami.9b01332},
  pages     = {9172 -- 9181},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Doped spiro-OMeTAD at present is the most commonly used hole transport material (HTM) in n-i-p-type perovskite solar cells, enabling high efficiencies around 22\%. However, the required dopants were shown to induce nonradiative recombination of charge carriers and foster degradation of the solar cell. Here, in a novel approach, highly conductive and inexpensive water-free poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) is used to replace these dopants. The resulting spiro-OMeTAD/PEDOT (SpiDOT) mixed films achieve higher lateral conductivities than layers of doped spiro-OMeTAD. Furthermore, combined transient and steady-state photoluminescence studies reveal a passivating effect of PEDOT, suppressing nonradiative recombination losses at the perovskite/HTM interface. This enables excellent quasi-Fermi level splitting values of up to 1.24 eV in perovskite/SpiDOT layer stacks and high open-circuit voltages (V-OC) up to 1.19 V in complete solar cells. Increasing the amount of dopant-free spiro-OMeTAD in SpiDOT layers is shown to enhance hole extraction and thereby improves the fill factor in solar cells. As a consequence, stabilized efficiencies up to 18.7\% are realized, exceeding cells with doped spiro-OMeTAD as a HTM in this study. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, these results mark the lowest nonradiative recombination loss in the V-OC (140 mV with respect to the Shockley-Queisser limit) and highest efficiency reported so far for perovskite solar cells using PEDOT as a HTM.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{ZuWolffRalaiarisoaetal.2019,
  author    = {Zu, Fengshuo and Wolff, Christian Michael and Ralaiarisoa, Maryline and Amsalem, Patrick and Neher, Dieter and Koch, Norbert},
  title     = {Unraveling the Electronic Properties of Lead Halide Perovskites with Surface Photovoltage in Photoemission Studies},
  series = {ACS applied materials \& interfaces},
  volume    = {11},
  journal   = {ACS applied materials \& interfaces},
  number    = {24},
  publisher = {American Chemical Society},
  address   = {Washington},
  issn      = {1944-8244},
  doi       = {10.1021/acsami.9b05293},
  pages     = {21578 -- 21583},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {The tremendous success of metal-halide perovskites, especially in the field of photovoltaics, has triggered a substantial number of studies in understanding their optoelectronic properties. However, consensus regarding the electronic properties of these perovskites is lacking due to a huge scatter in the reported key parameters, such as work function (Φ) and valence band maximum (VBM) values. Here, we demonstrate that the surface photovoltage (SPV) is a key phenomenon occurring at the perovskite surfaces that feature a non-negligible density of surface states, which is more the rule than an exception for most materials under study. With ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and Kelvin probe, we evidence that even minute UV photon fluxes (500 times lower than that used in typical UPS experiments) are sufficient to induce SPV and shift the perovskite Φ and VBM by several 100 meV compared to dark. By combining UV and visible light, we establish flat band conditions (i.e., compensate the surface-state-induced surface band bending) at the surface of four important perovskites, and find that all are p-type in the bulk, despite a pronounced n-type surface character in the dark. The present findings highlight that SPV effects must be considered in all surface studies to fully understand perovskites' photophysical properties.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{WangMosconiWolffetal.2019,
  author    = {Wang, Qiong and Mosconi, Edoardo and Wolff, Christian Michael and Li, Junming and Neher, Dieter and De Angelis, Filippo and Suranna, Gian Paolo and Grisorio, Roberto and Abate, Antonio},
  title     = {Rationalizing the molecular design of hole-selective contacts to improve charge extraction in Perovskite solar cells},
  series = {dvanced energy materials},
  volume    = {9},
  journal   = {dvanced energy materials},
  number    = {28},
  publisher = {Wiley-VCH},
  address   = {Weinheim},
  issn      = {1614-6832},
  doi       = {10.1002/aenm.201900990},
  pages     = {9},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Two new hole selective materials (HSMs) based on dangling methylsulfanyl groups connected to the C-9 position of the fluorene core are synthesized and applied in perovskite solar cells. Being structurally similar to a half of Spiro-OMeTAD molecule, these HSMs (referred as FS and DFS) share similar redox potentials but are endowed with slightly higher hole mobility, due to the planarity and large extension of their structure. Competitive power conversion efficiency (up to 18.6\%) is achieved by using the new HSMs in suitable perovskite solar cells. Time-resolved photoluminescence decay measurements and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy show more efficient charge extraction at the HSM/perovskite interface with respect to Spiro-OMeTAD, which is reflected in higher photocurrents exhibited by DFS/FS-integrated perovskite solar cells. Density functional theory simulations reveal that the interactions of methylammonium with methylsulfanyl groups in DFS/FS strengthen their electrostatic attraction with the perovskite surface, providing an additional path for hole extraction compared to the sole presence of methoxy groups in Spiro-OMeTAD. Importantly, the low-cost synthesis of FS makes it significantly attractive for the future commercialization of perovskite solar cells.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{LiBenduhnQiaoetal.2019,
  author    = {Li, Tian-yi and Benduhn, Johannes and Qiao, Zhi and Liu, Yuan and Li, Yue and Shivhare, Rishi and Jaiser, Frank and Wang, Pei and Ma, Jie and Zeika, Olaf and Neher, Dieter and Mannsfeld, Stefan C. B. and Ma, Zaifei and Vandewal, Koen and Leo, Karl},
  title     = {Effect of H- and J-Aggregation on the Photophysical and Voltage Loss of Boron Dipyrromethene Small Molecules in Vacuum-Deposited Organic Solar Cells},
  series = {The journal of physical chemistry letters},
  volume    = {10},
  journal   = {The journal of physical chemistry letters},
  number    = {11},
  publisher = {American Chemical Society},
  address   = {Washington},
  issn      = {1948-7185},
  doi       = {10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b01222},
  pages     = {2684 -- 2691},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {An understanding of the factors limiting the open-circuit voltage (V-oc) and related photon energy loss mechanisms is critical to increase the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of small-molecule organic solar cells (OSCs), especially those with near-infrared (NIR) absorbers. In this work, two NIR boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) molecules are characterized for application in planar (PHJ) and bulk (BHJ) heterojunction OSCs. When two H atoms are substituted by F atoms on the peripheral phenyl rings of the molecules, the molecular aggregation type in the thin film changes from the H-type to J-type. For PHJ devices, the nonradiative voltage loss of 0.35 V in the J-aggregated BODIPY is lower than that of 0.49 V in the H-aggregated device. In BHJ devices with a nonradiative voltage loss of 0.35 V, a PCE of 5.5\% is achieved with an external quantum efficiency (EQE) maximum of 68\% at 700 nm.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{WuerfelPerdigonToroKurpiersetal.2019,
  author    = {W{\"u}rfel, Uli and Perdigon-Toro, Lorena and Kurpiers, Jona and Wolff, Christian Michael and Caprioglio, Pietro and Rech, Jeromy James and Zhu, Jingshuai and Zhan, Xiaowei and You, Wei and Shoaee, Safa and Neher, Dieter and Stolterfoht, Martin},
  title     = {Recombination between Photogenerated and Electrode-Induced Charges Dominates the Fill Factor Losses in Optimized Organic Solar Cells},
  series = {The journal of physical chemistry letters},
  volume    = {10},
  journal   = {The journal of physical chemistry letters},
  number    = {12},
  publisher = {American Chemical Society},
  address   = {Washington},
  issn      = {1948-7185},
  doi       = {10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b01175},
  pages     = {3473 -- 3480},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Charge extraction in organic solar cells (OSCs) is commonly believed to be limited by bimolecular recombination of photogenerated charges. However, the fill factor of OSCs is usually almost entirely governed by recombination processes that scale with the first order of the light intensity. This linear loss was often interpreted to be a consequence of geminate or trap-assisted recombination. Numerical simulations show that this linear dependence is a direct consequence of the large amount of excess dark charge near the contact. The first-order losses increase with decreasing mobility of minority carriers, and we discuss the impact of several material and device parameters on this loss mechanism. This work highlights that OSCs are especially vulnerable to injected charges as a result of their poor charge transport properties. This implies that dark charges need to be better accounted for when interpreting electro-optical measurements and charge collection based on simple figures of merit.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{DeschlerNeherSchmidtMende2019,
  author    = {Deschler, Felix and Neher, Dieter and Schmidt-Mende, Lukas},
  title     = {Perovskite semiconductors for next generation optoelectronic applications},
  series = {APL Materials},
  volume    = {7},
  journal   = {APL Materials},
  number    = {8},
  publisher = {American Institute of Physics},
  address   = {Melville},
  issn      = {2166-532X},
  doi       = {10.1063/1.5119744},
  pages     = {3},
  year      = {2019},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{HoermannZeiskeParketal.2019,
  author    = {H{\"o}rmann, Ulrich and Zeiske, Stefan and Park, Soohyung and Schultz, Thorsten and Kickhoefel, Sebastian and Scherf, Ullrich and Blumstengel, Sylke and Koch, Norbert and Neher, Dieter},
  title     = {Direct observation of state-filling at hybrid tin oxide/organic interfaces},
  series = {Applied physics letters},
  volume    = {114},
  journal   = {Applied physics letters},
  number    = {18},
  publisher = {American Institute of Physics},
  address   = {Melville},
  issn      = {0003-6951},
  doi       = {10.1063/1.5082704},
  pages     = {5},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Electroluminescence (EL) spectra of hybrid charge transfer states at metal oxide/organic type-II heterojunctions exhibit bias-induced spectral shifts. The reasons for this phenomenon have been discussed controversially and arguments for either electric field-induced effects or the filling of trap states at the oxide surface have been put forward. Here, we combine the results of EL and photovoltaic measurements to eliminate the unavoidable effect of the series resistance of inorganic and organic components on the total voltage drop across the hybrid device. For SnOx combined with the conjugated polymer [ladder type poly-(para-phenylene)], we find a one-to-one correspondence between the blue-shift of the EL peak and the increase of the quasi-Fermi level splitting at the hybrid heterojunction, which we unambiguously assign to state filling. Our data are resembled best by a model considering the combination of an exponential density of states with a doped semiconductor. Published under license by AIP Publishing.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{LeCorreStolterfohtPerdigonToroetal.2019,
  author    = {Le Corre, Vincent M. and Stolterfoht, Martin and Perdig{\´o}n-Toro, Lorena and Feuerstein, Markus and Wolff, Christian Michael and Gil-Escrig, Lidon and Bolink, Henk J. and Neher, Dieter and Koster, L. Jan Anton},
  title     = {Charge Transport Layers Limiting the Efficiency of Perovskite Solar Cells: How To Optimize Conductivity, Doping, and Thickness},
  series = {ACS Applied Energy Materials},
  volume    = {2},
  journal   = {ACS Applied Energy Materials},
  number    = {9},
  publisher = {American Chemical Society},
  address   = {Washington},
  issn      = {2574-0962},
  doi       = {10.1021/acsaem.9b00856},
  pages     = {6280 -- 6287},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are one of the main research topics of the photovoltaic community; with efficiencies now reaching up to 24\%, PSCs are on the way to catching up with classical inorganic solar cells. However, PSCs have not yet reached their full potential. In fact, their efficiency is still limited by nonradiative recombination, mainly via trap-states and by losses due to the poor transport properties of the commonly used transport layers (TLs). Indeed, state-of-the-art TLs (especially if organic) suffer from rather low mobilities, typically within 10(-5) and 10(-2) cm(-2) V-1 s(-1), when compared to the high mobilities, 1-10 cm(-2) V-1 s(-1), measured for perovskites. This work presents a comprehensive analysis of the effect of the mobility, thickness, and doping density of the transport layers based on combined experimental and modeling results of two sets of devices made of a solution-processed high-performing triple-cation (PCE approximate to 20\%). The results are also cross-checked on vacuum-processed MAPbI(3) devices. From this analysis, general guidelines on how to optimize a TL are introduced and especially a new and simple formula to easily calculate the amount of doping necessary to counterbalance the low mobility of the TLs.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{RolandKniepertLoveetal.2019,
  author    = {Roland, Steffen and Kniepert, Juliane and Love, John A. and Negi, Vikas and Liu, Feilong and Bobbert, Peter and Melianas, Armantas and Kemerink, Martijn and Hofacker, Andreas and Neher, Dieter},
  title     = {Equilibrated Charge Carrier Populations Govern Steady-State Nongeminate Recombination in Disordered Organic Solar Cells},
  series = {The journal of physical chemistry letters},
  volume    = {10},
  journal   = {The journal of physical chemistry letters},
  number    = {6},
  publisher = {American Chemical Society},
  address   = {Washington},
  issn      = {1948-7185},
  doi       = {10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b00516},
  pages     = {1374 -- 1381},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {We employed bias-assisted charge extraction techniques to investigate the transient and steady-state recombination of photogenerated charge carriers in complete devices of a disordered polymer-fullerene blend. Charge recombination is shown to be dispersive, with a significant slowdown of the recombination rate over time, consistent with the results from kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. Surprisingly, our experiments reveal little to no contributions from early time recombination of nonequilibrated charge carriers to the steady-state recombination properties. We conclude that energetic relaxation of photogenerated carriers outpaces any significant nongeminate recombination under application-relevant illumination conditions. With equilibrated charges dominating the steady-state recombination, quasi-equilibrium concepts appear suited for describing the open-circuit voltage of organic solar cells despite pronounced energetic disorder.},
  language  = {en}
}