Modeling and Simulation of Polymer Solar Cells

Abstract

Polymer solar cells are attracting attention as inexpensive versatile devices for generating electricity from sunlight. However, relatively low efficiencies are currently hindering their widespread application. The typically low efficiencies arise because of the complex physics within these devices. In particular, photons must first be absorbed to create a mobile excited state, or exciton. Then this exciton must dissociate into free charge at the interface between an acceptor and a donor polymer, and finally, the free charge must traverse the polymer solar cell to the correct electrodes. Mathematical and computer models play an important role in understanding the physics of these devices and ultimately allow us to tailor the internal structure and material properties to optimize device performance. A brief review of polymer solar cells is presented, with particular emphasis on their nanoscale architecture, before the chapter turns its attention to the simulations and models that can predict their behavior.