Polymeric solar cells are receiving considerable attention as promising candidates for cheap and diffused energy generation. However, devices realized on the basis of this technology relies on heavy use of high-boiling point and often chlorinated solvents: Although these solvents may be in principle safely manipulated in a properly designed industrial plant, it could be of interest to explore the possibility of fabricating prototypical devices based on water-soluble materials, hence avoiding the use of organic solvents.
In this view, we developed a technique able to deliver well dispersed mixtures of conjugated polymers (polythiophenes) and hydroxylated fullerenes C60. We report the results of this techniques in terms of photophysical behaviour of the mixture, including the evidences of energy transfer from the water-dispersed polymer to the hydroxylated fullerene C60. Work aimed to characterize practical devices fabricated on these principles is in progress.