Photoactive Polythiophene:Titania Hybrids with Excellent Miscibility for Use in Polymer Photovoltaic Cells

A series of poly{(3‐hexylthiophene)‐co‐[3‐(6‐hydroxyhexyl)thiophene]}:titania (P3HT‐OH:TiO2) hybrids were synthesized via the in situ polycondensation of titanium (IV) n‐butoxide in the presence of P3HT‐OH. Introducing a hydroxyl moiety onto the side‐chain of poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) significantly promotes the polymer‐titania interaction, resulting in the formation of homogeneous hybrid colloids. The UV‐vis spectra of P3HT‐OH:TiO2 films demonstrate that TiO2 markedly affects the stacking structure and the chain conformation of P3HT‐OH. The maximum absorption wavelength of these hybrid materials can be tailor‐made by merely varying the weight percentage of TiO2. Moreover, P3HT‐OH:TiO2 can be further utilized as an efficient compatibilizer in preparing photoactive P3HT:P3HT‐OH:TiO2 films with excellent miscibility. The photovoltaic cell based on such a hybrid exhibited a 2.4‐fold higher value of power‐conversion efficiency compared to the cell based on P3HT:TiO2. magnified image