Conductive polymer/fullerene blend thin films with honeycomb framework for transparent photovoltaic application

1. A thin-film semiconductor composition comprising a blend of conjugated polymer and an electron acceptor material, the semiconductor composition having a micron-size hexagonal-ring pattern honeycomb structure, wherein the center of the hexagonal-ring pattern has a thickness that is at least one molecular layer and less than about 10 nm.

2. The semiconductor composition of claim 1 , wherein the conjugated polymer is a p-type conjugated polymer.

3. The semiconductor composition of claim 2 , wherein the p-type conjugated polymer is a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyphenylene vinylene (PPV) compounds, polythiophene compounds, and polyfluorene compounds.

4. The semiconductor composition of claim 1 , wherein the conjugated polymer is poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT).

5. The semiconductor composition of claim 1 , wherein the conjugated polymer is Poly 3-octyl-thiophene (P3OT).

6. The semiconductor composition of claim 1 , wherein the conjugated polymer is poly{2,5-bis[3-(N, N-diethylamino)-1-oxapropyI]-1,4-phenylenevinylene}.

7. The semiconductor composition of claim 1 , wherein the electron acceptor material is selected from the group consisting of fullerene compounds, n-type conjugated polymers, and inorganic nanocrystals.

8. The semiconductor composition of claim 1 , wherein the electron acceptor material is a buckminsterfullerene (C 60 ).

9. The semiconductor composition of claim 1 , wherein the electron acceptor material is an emerald green fullerene compound.

10. The semiconductor composition of claim 1 , wherein the electron acceptor material is C 60 [C(CH 3 )(CO 2 Et) 2 ] 6 .

11. The semiconductor composition of claim 1 , wherein the electron acceptor material is [6,6]-phenyl-C 61 -butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM).

12. The semiconductor composition of claim 7 , wherein the inorganic nanocrystal is a semiconducting quantum dot having a core of the type CdS, CdSe, CdTe, PbS, or PbSe.

13. The semiconductor composition of claim 7 , wherein the inorganic nanocrystal is a semiconducting quantum rod of the type CdS, CdSe, CdTe, PbS or PbSe.

14. The semiconductor composition of claim 1 , wherein said composition is substantially transparent to visible light.

15. A method of making a thin-film semiconductor composition, the method comprising:

i) co-dissolving a conjugated polymer and an electron acceptor material in a non-polar volatile solvent to form a blended solution;

ii) depositing a layer of the blended solution of (i) on a hydrophilic solid surface, or a water layer;

iii) introducing a high humidity gas over the surface of the blended solution of (ii); and

iv) evaporating the solvent of (i) to provide a micron-size hexagonal-ring pattern honeycomb polymer-based blended structure, wherein the center of the hexagonal-ring pattern has a thickness that is at least one molecular layer and less than about 10 nm.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the conjugated polymer is a p-type conjugated polymer.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the p-type conjugated polymer is a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyphenylene vinylene (PPV) compounds, polythiophene compounds, and polyfluorene compounds.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the conjugated polymer is poly{2,5-bis[3-(N, N-diethylamino)-1-oxapropyI]-1,4-phenylenevinylene}.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the conjugated polymer is poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT).

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the conjugated polymer is Poly 3-octyl-thiophene (P3OT).

21. The method of claim 15 , wherein the electron acceptor material is at least one selected from the group consisting of fullerene compounds, inorganic nanocrystals, and n-type conjugated polymers.

22. The method of claim 15 , wherein the electron acceptor material is a buckminsterfullerene (C 60 ).

23. The method of claim 15 , wherein the electron acceptor material is an emerald green fullerene compound.

24. The method of claim 15 , wherein the electron acceptor material is C 60 [C(CH 3 )(CO 2 Et) 2 ] 6 .

25. The method of claim 15 , wherein the electron acceptor material is [6,6]-phenyl-C 61 -butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM).

26. The method of claim 21 , wherein the inorganic nanocrystal is a semiconducting quantum dot having a core of the type CdS, CdSe, CdTe, PbS, or PbSe.

27. The method of claim 21 , wherein the inorganic nanocrystal is a semiconducting quantum rod of the type CdS, CdSe, CdTe, PbS, or PbSe.

28. The method of claim 15 , wherein said composition is substantially transparent to visible light.

29. The method of claim 15 , wherein the high humidity gas is about 55 percent to about 99 percent water, at a temperature of about 20 to about 25 degrees Celsius, and at an ambient pressure.

30. A photovoltaic device comprising a thin-film semiconductor composition comprising a conjugated polymer and an electron acceptor material, the semiconductor composition having a micron-size hexagonal-ring pattern honeycomb structure, wherein the center of said hexagonal-ring pattern has a thickness that is at least one molecular layer and less than about 10 nm.

31. The photovoltaic device of claim 30 , wherein the conjugated polymer is a p-type conjugated polymer.

32. The photovoltaic device of claim 31 , wherein the p-type conjugated polymer is at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of polyphenylene vinylene (PPV) compounds, polythiophene compounds, and polyfluorene compounds.

33. The photovoltaic device of claim 30 , wherein the conjugated polymer is poly{2,5-bis[3-(N, N-diethylamino)-1-oxapropyI]-1,4-phenylenevinylene}.

34. The photovoltaic device of claim 30 , wherein the conjugated polymer is poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT).

35. The photovoltaic device of claim 30 , wherein the conjugated polymer is Poly 3-octyl-thiophene (P3OT).

36. The photovoltaic device of claim 30 , wherein the electron acceptor material is an emerald green fullerene compound.

37. The photovoltaic device of claim 30 , wherein the electron acceptor material is C 60 [C(CH 3 )(CO 2 Et) 2 ] 6 .

38. The photovoltaic device of claim 30 , wherein the electron acceptor material is [6,6]-phenyl-C 61 -butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM).

39. The photovoltaic device of claim 30 , wherein the thin-film semiconductor composition is substantially transparent to visible light.

40. The photovoltaic device of claim 30 , wherein the electron acceptor material is selected from the group consisting of a fullerene compound, an inorganic nanocrystal, and an n-type conjugated polymer.

41. The photovoltaic device of claim 40 , wherein the inorganic nanocrystal is a semiconducting quantum dot having a core of the type CdS, CdSe, CdTe, PbS, or PbSe.

42. The photovoltaic device of claim 40 , wherein the inorganic nanocrystal is a semiconducting quantum rod of the type CdS, CdSe, CdTe, PbS, or PbSe.

43. An article of manufacturing comprising the composition of claim 1 .

44. The article of manufacture of claim 43 , wherein the article of manufacture is an electronic device, an optical device, or an optoelectronic device.

45. A composite comprising a substrate and the thin-film semiconductor composition of claim 1 deposited on the substrate.

46. A field effect transistor device comprising the thin-film semiconductor composition of claim 1 .

47. The method of claim 15 , wherein the thin-film semiconductor composition is synthesized on a solid substrate.

48. The method of claim 15 , wherein the thin-film semiconductor composition is synthesized on a hydrophilic solid substrate.

49. The method of claim 15 , wherein the semiconductor composition is synthesized on a layer of water.

50. The semiconductor composition of claim 1 , wherein said composition is at least 75 percent transparent to visible light.

51. The method of claim 15 , wherein said thin-film semiconductor composition is at least 75 percent transparent to visible light.

52. The photovoltaic device of claim 30 , wherein the thin-film semiconductor composition is at least 75 percent transparent to visible light.