Hybrid Solar Cells Based on Nanoparticles of CuInS2 in Organic Matrices

Abstract We report on solution‐processed hybrid solar cells consisting of a nanocrystalline inorganic semiconductor, CuInS2, and organic materials. Synthesis of quantized CuInS2 nanoparticles was performed using a colloidal route, where the particle surface was shielded by an organic surfactant. First attempts were made to use nanocrystalline CuInS2 with fullerene derivatives to form flat‐interface donor–acceptor heterojunction solar cells. We investigated also bulk heterojunctions by replacing the CuInS2 single layer by a blend of CuInS2 and p‐type polymer (PEDOT:PSS; poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene:poly(styrene sulfonic acid) in the same cell configuration. Bulk heterojunction solar cells show better photovoltaic response with external quantum efficiencies up to 20 %.