Molecular Semiconductors in Organic Photovoltaic Cells

Synthesis and photophysical properties of fullerene-phthalocyanine-porphyrin triads and pentads

The synthesis and photophysical properties of several fullerene-phthalocyanine-porphyrin triads (1-3) and pentads (4-6) are described. The three photoactive moieties were covalently connected in an one-step synthesis through 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition to C(60) of the corresponding azomethine ylides generated in situ by condensation reaction of a substituted N-porphyrinylmethylglycine derivative and an appropriated formyl phthalocyanine or a diformyl phthalocyanine derivative, respectively. ZnP-C(60)-ZnPc (3), (ZnP)(2)-ZnPc-(C(60))(2) (6), and (H(2)P)(2)-ZnPc-(C(60))(2) (5) give rise upon excitation of their ZnP or H(2)P components to a sequence of energy and charge-transfer reactions with, however, fundamentally different outcomes. With (ZnP)(2)-ZnPc-(C(60))(2) (6) the major pathway is an highly exothermic charge transfer to afford (ZnP)(ZnP(.+))-ZnPc-(C(60)(.-))(C(60)). The lower singlet excited state energy of H(2)P (i.e., ca. 0.2 eV) and likewise its more anodic oxidation (i.e., ca. 0.2 V) renders the direct charge transfer in (H(2)P)(2)-ZnPc-(C(60))(2) (5) not competitive. Instead, a transduction of singlet excited state energy prevails to form the ZnPc singlet excited state. This triggers then an intramolecular charge transfer reaction to form exclusively (H(2)P)(2)-ZnPc(.+)-(C(60)(.-))(C(60)). A similar sequence is found for ZnP-C(60)-ZnPc (3).

Self-assembling of zinc phthalocyanines on ZnO (1010) surface through multiple time scales

We adopt a hierarchic combination of theoretical methods to study the assembling of zinc phthalocyanines (ZnPcs) on a ZnO (1010) surface through multiple time scales. Atomistic simulations, such as model potential molecular dynamics and metadynamics, are used to study the energetics and short time evolution (up to ∼100 ns) of small ZnPc aggregates. The stability and the lifetime of large clusters is then studied by means of an atomistically informed coarse-grained model using classical molecular dynamics. Finally, the macroscopic time scale clustering phenomenon is studied by Metropolis Monte Carlo algorithms as a function of temperature and surface coverage. We provide evidence that at room temperature the aggregation is likely to occur at sufficiently high coverage, and we characterize the nature, morphology, and lifetime of ZnPc's clusters. We identify the molecular stripes oriented along [010] crystallographic directions as the most energetically stable aggregates.

Competition between singlet fission and charge separation in solution-processed blend films of 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene with sterically-encumbered perylene-3,4:9,10-bis(dicarboximide)s

The photophysics and morphology of thin films of N,N-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)perylene-3,4:9,10-bis(dicarboximide) (1) and the 1,7-diphenyl (2) and 1,7-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylphenyl) (3) derivatives blended with 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene (TIPS-Pn) were studied for their potential use as photoactive layers in organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices. Increasing the steric bulk of the 1,7-substituents of the perylene-3,4:9,10-bis(dicarboximide) (PDI) impedes aggregation in the solid state. Film characterization data using both atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction showed that decreasing the PDI aggregation by increasing the steric bulk in the order 1 < 2 < 3 correlates with a decrease in the density/size of crystalline TIPS-Pn domains. Transient absorption spectroscopy was performed on ~100 nm solution-processed TIPS-Pn:PDI blend films to characterize the charge separation dynamics. These results showed that selective excitation of the TIPS-Pn results in competition between ultrafast singlet fission ((1*)TIPS-Pn + TIPS-Pn → 2 (3*)TIPS-Pn) and charge transfer from (1*)TIPS-Pn to PDIs 1-3. As the blend films become more homogeneous across the series TIPS-Pn:PDI 1 → 2 → 3, charge separation becomes competitive with singlet fission. Ultrafast charge separation forms the geminate radical ion pair state (1)(TIPS-Pn(+•)-PDI(-•)) that undergoes radical pair intersystem crossing to form (3)(TIPS-Pn(+•)-PDI(-•)), which then undergoes charge recombination to yield either (3*)PDI or (3*)TIPS-Pn. Energy transfer from (3*)PDI to TIPS-Pn also yields (3*)TIPS-Pn. These results show that multiple pathways produce the (3*)TIPS-Pn state, so that OPV design strategies based on this system must utilize this triplet state for charge separation.

Crystal structure, spin polarization, solid-state electrochemistry, and high n-type carrier mobility of a paramagnetic semiconductor: vanadyl tetrakis(thiadiazole)porphyrazine

We report the synthesis, crystal structure, and magnetic, electrochemical, and carrier-transport properties of vanadyl tetrakis(thiadiazole)porphyrazine (abbreviated as VOTTDPz) with S = ½. X-ray crystal analysis reveals two polymorphs, the α and β forms; the former consists of a 1D regular π stacking, while the latter forms a 2D π network. Molecular orbital calculations suggest a V(4+)(d(1)) ground state and a characteristic spin polarization on the whole molecular skeleton. The temperature dependence of the paramagnetic susceptibility of the α form clearly indicates a ferromagnetic interaction with a positive Weiss constant of θ = 2.4 K, which is well-explained by McConnell's type I mechanism. VOTTDPz forms amorphous thin films with a flat and smooth surface, and their cyclic voltammogram curves indicate a one-electron reduction process, which is highly electrochromic, because of a reduction of the porphyrazine π ring. Thin-film field-effect transistors of VOTTDPz with ionic-liquid gate dielectrics exhibit n-type performance, with a high mobility of μ = 2.8 × 10(-2) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) and an on/off ratio of 10(4), even though the thin films are amorphous.

Organic photoresponse materials and devices

Organic photoresponse materials and devices are critically important to organic optoelectronics and energy crises. The activities of photoresponse in organic materials can be summarized in three effects, photoconductive, photovoltaic and optical memory effects. Correspondingly, devices based on the three effects can be divided into (i) photoconductive devices such as photodetectors, photoreceptors, photoswitches and phototransistors, (ii) photovoltaic devices such as organic solar cells, and (iii) optical data storage devices. It is expected that this systematic analysis of photoresponse materials and devices could be a guide for the better understanding of structure-property relationships of organic materials and provide key clues for the fabrication of high performance organic optoelectronic devices, the integration of them in circuits and the application of them in renewable green energy strategies (critical review, 452 references).

Tuning the photophysical properties of pyrene-based systems: a theoretical study

Recently new molecular systems based on the pyrene moiety were developed for photovoltaic applications. Here we present the results of a quantum chemical study focused on the effects induced by some different substituents on the electronic properties of pyrene, to obtain general hints for the molecular design of new pyrene-based systems. In particular, a series of electron-donating (hydroxy, amino, acetylamino) and electron-withdrawing (cyano, carbamoyl, formyl, ethynyl, ethenyl) groups were considered. Furthermore, in addition to the single pyrene molecule, two pyrene units linked by ethenylene, ethynylene, 2,5-thienylene, and ethynylene-p-phenylene containing chains of different lengths were taken into account. For all of the model structures presented, the ground state geometries have been optimized using the density functional approach, while the vertical transition energies were calculated using the time-dependent density functional theory. We will show that the tuning of the lowest electronic excitation energy (i.e., the HOMO-LUMO energy gap) as well as the localization of the spatial distributions of the frontier molecular orbitals (i.e., the nature of the electron-hole pair, generated by photon absorption) can be obtained through the analysis of the pyrene frontier molecular orbitals. This approach allows to evaluate the most suitable position of the substituents on the pyrene moiety giving rise to enhanced electronic effects also in function of their electronic nature. In this way, pyrene-structures with tailored electronic properties could be modeled. Our screening shows that promising candidates for photovoltaic applications could be molecular structures formed by two pyrene units joined/linked by a short conjugated bridge containing double or triple bonds (henceforth pyrene-linked dimers). As far as the single pyrene units are considered, the most significant reduction of the transition energy of the lowest optical electronic excitation is obtained with disubstituted pyrenes with push-pull character.

Efficient small molecule bulk heterojunction solar cells with high fill factors via pyrene-directed molecular self-assembly

Efficient organic photovoltaic (OPV) materials are constructed by attaching completely planar, symmetric end-groups to donor-acceptor electroactive small molecules. Appending C2-pyrene as the small molecule end-group to a diketopyrrolopyrrole core leads to materials with a tight, aligned crystal packing and favorable morphology dictated by π-π interactions, resulting in high power conversion efficiencies and high fill factors. The use of end-groups to direct molecular self-assembly is an effective strategy for designing high-performance small molecule OPV devices.

Charge transport anisotropy in n-type disk-shaped triphenylene-tris(aroyleneimidazole)s

Two novel n-type disk-shaped molecules containing a triphenylene core and three fused naphthaleneimide imidazole or peryleneimide imidazole "arms" are synthesized and characterized. The n-type charge carrier mobilities of these molecules are evaluated by both field effect transistors and space-charge limited-current measurements, which exhibit drastically different mobility anisotropy. A strong correlation between film morphology and the charge transport behavior is established by X-ray scattering and atomic force microscopic analyses.

Cross-linked perylene diimide-based n-type interfacial layer for inverted organic photovoltaic devices

This contribution describes the synthesis and characterization of a perylene diimide (PDI)-based n-type semiconductor and its application to organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices having inverted architecture. Films of N,N'-bis(3-trimethoxysilylpropyl)-1,6,7,12-tetrachloroperylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxyldiimide (Cl(4)PSi(2)) and blends of this material with various polymers are solution-deposited on tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) substrates as interfacial layers (IFLs). The organic IFL described in this work is based on the air- and light-stable PDI core, annealed at low temperatures compatible with flexible substrates, and crosslinks in air for compatibility with device fabrication. Morphological, optical, and electrochemical analysis of these IFL films demonstrate predominantly smooth surfaces and HOMO and LUMO energies of ~4.5 and 7.0 eV, respectively, which are ideal for accepting electrons and blocking holes in inverted devices. A cationic silane species is added to the Cl(4)PSi(2) at an optimum ~2-5 wt % to reduce IFL series resistance and enhance device performance. Also, a short light soaking procedure is necessary for completed devices to achieve high fill factors in current density-voltage analysis, a phenomenon previously only observed for inverted devices having an n-type inorganic IFL.

Near-infrared azadipyrromethenes as electron donor for efficient planar heterojunction organic solar cells

We report the use of three solution processable azadipyrromethene (ADPM) based compounds, i.e., ADPM, B,F(2)-chelated ADPM (BF2-ADPM), and B,O-chelated ADPM (BO-ADPM), as electron donors in planar heterojunction solar cells. These small molecules possess exceptional light harvesting capability with high extinction coefficients (~1 × 10(5) M(-1) cm(-1) in solutions) and broad absorption spectra up into the near-infrared region. Planar heterojunction organic solar cells, consisting of a solution processed electron donor layer and a vapor deposited C(60) acceptor layer, have been constructed to give power conversion efficiencies of 0.56, 0.69, and 2.63% for ADPM, BF2-ADPM, and BO-ADPM, respectively, under AM 1.5G simulated 1 sun solar illumination. A high open circuit voltage (V(oc)) of ~0.8 V was achieved for the BO-ADPM/C(60) device, which is among the highest reported values for organic solar cells with photocurrent generation in the near-infrared region beyond 1.5 eV.

Finely tailored performance of inverted organic photovoltaics through layer-by-layer interfacial engineering

Control over interfacial properties in organic photovoltaics (OPVs) is critical for many aspects of their performance. Functionalization of the transparent conducting electrode, in this case, indium tin oxide (ITO), through an electrostatic layer by layer (eLbL) approach with cationic N,N'-bis[2-(trimethylammonium)ethylene] perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxyldiimide (PTCDI(+)) and anionic poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(p-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS(-)), led to high control over the surface properties. The films were studied through a variety of surface and spectroscopic techniques, including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-visible spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and ellipsometry. The work function of modified ITO was measured by UV photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and showed oscillating values with respect to odd-even layer numbers; the strong odd-even effect is due to the differing electronic characteristics of the top layer, either PTCDI(+) or PEDOT:PSS(-). The modified ITO electrodes were then used as the cathode in a series of inverted organic photovoltaic architectures. The performance of inverted OPVs was, in parallel to the UPS results, found to be highly dependent on the layer number of coated films and showed an obvious oscillation based on layer number. Inverted OPVs were retested after 128 days of storage in air, and almost all devices maintained over 70% of original power conversion efficiency (PCE).

Determining the C60 molecular arrangement in thin films by means of X-ray diffraction

The electrical and optical properties of molecular thin films are widely used, for instance in organic electronics, and depend strongly on the molecular arrangement of the organic layers. It is shown here how atomic structural information can be obtained from molecular films without further knowledge of the single-crystal structure. C60 fullerene was chosen as a representative test material. A 250 nm C60 film was investigated by grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction and the data compared with a Bragg–Brentano X-ray diffraction measurement of the corresponding C60 powder. The diffraction patterns of both powder and film were used to calculate the pair distribution function (PDF), which allowed an investigation of the short-range order of the structures. With the help of the PDF, a structure model for the C60 molecular arrangement was determined for both C60 powder and thin film. The results agree very well with a classical whole-pattern fitting approach for the C60 diffraction patterns.

Construction of a long range p/n heterojunction with a pair of nanometre-wide continuous D/A phases

A p/n heterojunction is the basic setup for light-electric conversion. It has been widely accepted that the ideal configuration for organic photovoltaics is formed by the joint of a pair of long-range continuous but nanometre-wide phases consisting of electron-donating (D) and -accepting (A) components, respectively. Such a p/n heterojunction can provide not only a large D/A interface essential to efficient photoinduced charge separation, but also the transportation pathways for both electrons and holes. This review article summarizes the present approaches including D-A double cables, diblock copolymers, and small molecular D-A dyads and multiads, to construct such an ideal p/n heterojunction. Each approach is introduced by a few selected representative works, with highlights on their molecular design strategies and the relationship of chemical structure-packing order-property. Such information would be useful for the next research in the field.

Nanoscale structure, dynamics and power conversion efficiency correlations in small molecule and oligomer-based photovoltaic devices

Photovoltaic functions in organic materials are intimately connected to interfacial morphologies of molecular packing in films on the nanometer scale and molecular levels. This review will focus on current studies on correlations of nanoscale morphologies in organic photovoltaic (OPV) materials with fundamental processes relevant to photovoltaic functions, such as light harvesting, exciton splitting, exciton diffusion, and charge separation (CS) and diffusion. Small molecule photovoltaic materials will be discussed here. The donor and acceptor materials in small molecule OPV devices can be fabricated in vacuum-deposited, multilayer, crystalline thin films, or spin-coated together to form blended bulk heterojunction (BHJ) films. These two methods result in very different morphologies of the solar cell active layers. There is still a formidable debate regarding which morphology is favored for OPV optimization. The morphology of the conducting films has been systematically altered; using variations of the techniques above, the whole spectrum of film qualities can be fabricated. It is possible to form a highly crystalline material, one which is completely amorphous, or an intermediate morphology. In this review, we will summarize the past key findings that have driven organic solar cell research and the current state-of-the-art of small molecule and conducting oligomer materials. We will also discuss the merits and drawbacks of these devices. Finally, we will highlight some works that directly compare the spectra and morphology of systematically elongated oligothiophene derivatives and compare these oligomers to their polymer counterparts. We hope this review will shed some new light on the morphology differences of these two systems.

Diketopyrrolopyrrole-containing oligothiophene-fullerene triads and their use in organic solar cells

We report the characterization of a series of oligothiophene-diketopyrrolopyrrole-fullerene triads and their use as active materials for solution processed organic solar cells (OSCs). By incorporating the diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) core with electron rich oligothiophene units and electron withdrawing fullerene units, multifunctional electronic molecules have been prepared; these molecules show high solubility in common organic solvents, excellent photophysical properties with high extinction coefficients (1 × 10(4) to 1 × 10(5) M(-1) cm(-1)) and broad absorption spectra coverage (250-800 nm), as well as suitable molecular orbital energy levels (HOMO of approximately -5.1 eV, LUMO of approximately -3.7 eV). Solution-processed thin-film organic field effect transistors (OFETs) from these triads revealed good n-type characteristics with electron mobilities up to 1.5 × 10(-3) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1). With these multifunctional triads, single-component OSCs have been fabricated, exhibiting power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of up to 0.5 % under AM 1.5 G simulated 1 sun solar illumination. Blending these molecules with poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) afforded bulk heterojunction OSCs with PCEs reaching as high as 2.41%.

Photophysical and electrochemical properties of Ru(II) complexes containing tridentate bisphosphino-oligothiophene ligands

Nine Ru(II) complexes containing the conjugated oligothiophene ligands 3,3''-bis(diphenylphosphino)-2,2':5',2''-terthiophene (P(2)T(3)) and 4',3'''-bis(diphenylphosphino)-3,3''''-dihexyl- 2,2':5',2'':5'',2''':5''',2''''-pentathiophene (P(2)T(5)) were prepared and characterized. P(2)T(3) and P(2)T(5) bond as tridentate ligands and three of the complexes (1, 2 and 5) form green five-coordinate Ru(II) complexes in solution. Cyclic voltammetry, variable temperature UV-vis spectroscopy and time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy were used to characterize the electronic properties of the complexes. Increased conjugation in the complexes containing the P(2)T(5) ligand resulted in a lowering of the oxidation potential of the oligothiophene, but electropolymerization was not observed. The electronic spectra were dominated by π-π* transitions. All of the complexes were non-emissive both at room temperature and low temperature, indicating the excited state decays by other, non-radiative pathways. The transient absorption spectrum of complex 7 shows a species with a band at 475 nm and a lifetime of ∼100 ns, assigned to a ligand-based triplet state.

Chemically treating poly(3-hexylthiophene) defects to improve bulk heterojunction photovoltaics

Defect engineering has been of vital importance to the development of inorganic semiconductors. Here, we report the chemical modification of electrical defects in the prototypical organic semiconductor, regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene), P3HT. Previously, we have covalently treated defect sites with either a nucleophile or an electrophile, leaving the defects of primarily opposite polarity. Consecutively using both nucleophilic and electrophilic treatments allows us to covalently fix both positively and negatively charged defect sites in a single procedure. Here we describe the effects of treating P3HT first with lithium aluminum hydride, LAH, to decrease the overall defect density, and then with dimethylsulfate, Me(2)SO(4), to eliminate some of the remaining n-type defects (equivalent to a p-type doping process). The resulting polymer, P3HT_LAH_Me(2)SO(4), behaves differently than the polymer obtained when the order of treatments is reversed, P3HT_Me(2)SO(4)_LAH. Slightly improved structural and optical differences between these two new polymers and the starting P3HT are observed, whereas greatly improved electrical differences are found. Both treatments improve the performance of the photovoltaic cells, especially the short circuit current and the fill factor, and increase the stability against photodegradation. The significantly decreased series resistance and increased shunt resistance with a combined treatment suggest improved charge transport in the cell. The effective doping density can be increased or decreased with these treatments while the carrier mobility and the exciton diffusion length increase. It should be possible to employ these simple chemical treatments with any π-conjugated polymer to beneficially modify, or eliminate, some of its electronic defects. As a consequence, our approach provides a new method of improving the air-stability and electrical characteristics for organic photovoltaic and other electronic applications.