Fully polymeric solar cells: a real-time study of active-layer structure formation

The effect of solvent and thermal annealing on the structure of active layers in polymer–polymer solar cells has been studied. It has been established by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray grazing-incidence diffraction that the annealing of films improves phase separation and produces domains that are more compact. Real-time studies have also been carried out on the formation of films of nonpolar (toluene) and polar (chlorbenzene) solvents with simultaneous measurement of the structure and conductivity of the films. It has been established that in both cases the formation of the structures of donor and acceptor domains is a two-stage process, with the stages, however, being noticeably different and determined by physical and chemical properties of the solvents.