Title: Structural, morphological and electrical characterisation of rGO-P3HT composite film for photovoltaic applications

Authors: Prakash Chandra Mahakul; Pitamber Mahanandia

Addresses: Department of Physics and Astronomy, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, 769008, India ' Department of Physics and Astronomy, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, 769008, India

Abstract: Interesting properties like low cost processing, green, flexible, solution processable, etc. of organic semiconductors have attracted the attention of researcher for the next generation optoelectronics applications. Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has been prepared by modified Hummers' method followed by reduction using hydrazine hydrate as reducing agent. RGO incorporated poly[3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl] (P3HT) composite films have been been fabricated by solution processing followed by spin coating method using 1,2-dichlorobenzene as solvent. Structural and morphological characterisation of the composite film has been analysed by XRD, SEM and FESEM. The rGO was observed to be well dispersed in the polymer matrix. Functional characteristics and interaction between filler and host P3HT matrix has been studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman characterisation. An increase in electrical conductivity has been observed for the rGO incorporated film. Applicability of the composite for different optoelectronic devices has been illustrated by using cyclic-voltammetry characterisation. Improvement in electrical characteristics of the composite can be attributed to π-π interaction between rGO network and P3HT in the composite.

Keywords: reduced graphene oxide; rGO; poly[3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl]; P3HT; 1.2-dichlorobenzene; dispersion; cyclic-voltammetry.

DOI: 10.1504/IJRET.2018.090113

International Journal of Renewable Energy Technology, 2018 Vol.9 No.1/2, pp.181 - 190

Received: 28 Jan 2017
Accepted: 03 Aug 2017
Published online: 28 Feb 2018 *

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