Polymer solar cells based on a low-bandgap fluorene copolymer and a fullerene derivative with photocurrent extended to 850 nm

Polymer solar cells have been fabricated from a recently synthesized low band-gap alternating polyfluorene copolymer, APFO-Green2, combined with [6,6]-phenyl-C-61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) from organic solutions. External quantum efficiencies (EQEs) of the solar cells show an onset at 850 nm and a peak of > 10% located at 650 nm, which corresponds to the extended absorption spectrum of the polymer. Photocurrent of 3.0 mA cm(-2), photovoltage of 0.78 V, and power conversion efficiency of 0.9% have been achieved in solar cells based on this new low-bandgap polymer under the illumination of air mass 1.5 (AM 1.5) (1000 W m(-2)) from a solar simulator.