Hybrid polymer-inorganic photovoltaic cells

Composite materials made from organic conjugated polymers and inorganic semiconductors such as metal oxides attract considerable interest for photovoltaic applications. Hybrid polymer-inorganic solar cells offer the opportunity to combine the beneficial properties of the two materials in charge generation and transport with easy and cheap processing in large areas. Various strategies, for creating hybrid polymer solar cells have been explored in recent years. Many of these methods aim at creating an intimately mixed bulk-heterojunction microstructure of the two materials on a nanometer scale, ensuring efficient charge generation at the interface and effective percolating pathways for photogenerated electrons and holes to the electrodes. Progress in the basic understanding of the operation principles and in the actual performance of these devices has been very significant. This review highlights the state of the art in the field and discusses the scope and limitations of hybrid polymer-inorganic photovoltaic cells for future energy production.