Aggregation-dependent photovoltaic properties of squaraine/PC61BM bulk heterojunctions

In this study, we investigated bulk-heterojunction solar cells composed of PC61BM and squaraine dyes with different donor subunits. Both, H- and J-aggregates, have been observed for the squaraine dyes in the mixture, even for the same dye depending on the annealing conditions of the blends. Supramolecular organization of the squaraine dyes noticeably affects solar cell performance. The J-aggregate exhibits a red-shift of the absorption maximum that results in a significant increase in the short-circuit current and decrease in the open-circuit voltage compared to the as-cast device. The H-aggregate shows a blue-shift in the absorption maximum and concomitantly only a moderate increase in the short-circuit current as well as an increase in the open-circuit voltage. The course of domain growth during annealing was monitored by local photocurrent mapping.