Surface Modification of ITO with N-Heterocyclic Carbene Precursors Results in Electron Selective Contacts in Organic Photovoltaic Devices.

Surface modification of indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes with organic molecules is known to tune their work function which results in higher charge carrier selectivity in corresponding organic electronic devices and hence influences the performance of organic solar cells. In recent years, N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have also been proven to be capable to modify the work function of metals and semimetals compared to the unfunctionalized surface via the formation of strong covalent bonds. In this report, we have designed and performed the modification of the ITO surface with NHC by using the zwitterionic bench stable IPr-CO as the NHC precursor, applied via spin coating.