Creating a uniform distribution of fullerene C₆₀ nanorods in a polymer matrix and its photovoltaic applications

The creation of uniform distribution of fullerene C₆₀ nanorods in a thin conjugated polymer film using a controlled solvent vapor treatment (C-SVT) method, was presented. The C-SVT method has the capability to create homogeneous and reproducible fullerene nanorods in polymer films that can be used in photovoltaic devices. A photoactive layer with interpenetrating networks for the two components influences the performance of bulk-heterojunction polymer solar cells. The films were placed in a long glass tube containing CS₂ for conducting the C-SVT experiment. Transmission control microscopy (TEM) was conducted at an acceleration voltage of 100 kV for observing the distribution of fullerene. UV/Vis measurements were performed using a Perkin-Elmer UV/Vis Lambda 750 spectrometer with 1.0-nm slit width. Results show that C-SVT can be used for morphology design and realization for photovoltaic device applications.