1
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Ruiz C, Martín R, Benito A, Gutierrez E, Monge MÁ, Facchetti A, Termine R, Golemme A, Gómez-Lor B. Columnar Mesomorphism in a Methylthio-Decorated Triindole for Enhanced Charge Transport. ACS APPLIED ELECTRONIC MATERIALS 2024; 6:4709-4717. [PMID: 38947954 PMCID: PMC11210202 DOI: 10.1021/acsaelm.4c00693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
We report a semiconducting triindole-based discotic liquid crystal (TRISMe) functionalized with six p-methylthiophenyl groups at its periphery. While initially a crystalline solid at room temperature, TRISMe transitions to a columnar hexagonal mesophase upon heating and retains this supramolecular organization upon subsequent cooling, despite having only three flexible alkyl chains attached to the core's nitrogens. The incorporation of methylthio groups effectively hinders tight molecular packing, stabilizing the columnar arrangement of this disk-shaped molecule. Single crystal analysis confirmed the high tendency of this compound to organize into a columnar architecture and the role played by the methylthio groups in reinforcing such structure. The mesomorphic behavior of TRISMe provides an opportunity for processing from its molten state. Notably, our research reveals significant differences in charge transport depending on the processing method, whether solution drop-casting or melt-based. TRISMe shows hole mobility values averaging 3 × 10-1 cm2 V-1 s-1 when incorporated in diode-type devices from the isotropic melt and annealed at the mesophase temperature, estimated by SCLC (space-charge-limited current) measurements. However, when integrated into solution-processed organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), crystalline TRISMe exhibits a hole mobility of 3 × 10-4 cm2 V-1 s-1. The observed differences can be attributed to a beneficial supramolecular assembly achieved in the mesophase in spite of its lower order. These results emphasize the material's potential for applications in easy-to-process electronic devices and highlight the potential of methylthio moieties in promoting columnar mesophases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constanza Ruiz
- Instituto
de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, CSIC, Cantoblanco 28049, Madrid, Spain
- School
of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia
Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Raúl Martín
- Instituto
de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, CSIC, Cantoblanco 28049, Madrid, Spain
- Faculty
of Chemical and Technologies Sciences, University
of Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Angela Benito
- Instituto
de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, CSIC, Cantoblanco 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Enrique Gutierrez
- Instituto
de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, CSIC, Cantoblanco 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - M. Ángeles Monge
- Instituto
de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, CSIC, Cantoblanco 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Facchetti
- School
of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia
Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Roberto Termine
- CNR
Nanotec UOS Rende, Dipartimento di Fisica, Università della Calabria, Rende 87036, Italy
| | - Attilio Golemme
- CNR
Nanotec UOS Rende, Dipartimento di Fisica, Università della Calabria, Rende 87036, Italy
| | - Berta Gómez-Lor
- Instituto
de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, CSIC, Cantoblanco 28049, Madrid, Spain
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2
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Gao J, Bai H, Li P, Zhou Y, Su W, Liu C, Li X, Wu Y, Hu B, Liang Z, Bi Z, Li X, Yan L, Du H, Lu G, Gao C, Wang K, Liu Y, Ma W, Fan Q. Halogenated Dibenzo[f,h]quinoxaline Units Constructed 2D-Conjugated Guest Acceptors for 19% Efficiency Organic Solar Cells. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024:e2403334. [PMID: 38884140 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202403334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Halogenation of Y-series small-molecule acceptors (Y-SMAs) is identified as an effective strategy to optimize photoelectric properties for achieving improved power-conversion-efficiencies (PCEs) in binary organic solar cells (OSCs). However, the effect of different halogenation in the 2D-structured large π-fused core of guest Y-SMAs on ternary OSCs has not yet been systematically studied. Herein, four 2D-conjugated Y-SMAs (X-QTP-4F, including halogen-free H-QTP-4F, chlorinated Cl-QTP-4F, brominated Br-QTP-4F, and iodinated I-QTP-4F) by attaching different halogens into 2D-conjugation extended dibenzo[f,h]quinoxaline core are developed. Among these X-QTP-4F, Cl-QTP-4F has a higher absorption coefficient, optimized molecular crystallinity and packing, suitable cascade energy levels, and complementary absorption with PM6:L8-BO host. Moreover, among ternary PM6:L8-BO:X-QTP-4F blends, PM6:L8-BO:Cl-QTP-4F obtains a more uniform and size-suitable fibrillary network morphology, improved molecular crystallinity and packing, as well as optimized vertical phase distribution, thus boosting charge generation, transport, extraction, and suppressing energy loss of OSCs. Consequently, the PM6:L8-BO:Cl-QTP-4F-based OSCs achieve a 19.0% efficiency, which is among the state-of-the-art OSCs based on 2D-conjugated Y-SMAs and superior to these devices based on PM6:L8-BO host (17.70%) and with guests of H-QTP-4F (18.23%), Br-QTP-4F (18.39%), and I-QTP-4F (17.62%). The work indicates that halogenation in 2D-structured dibenzo[f,h]quinoxaline core of Y-SMAs guests is a promising strategy to gain efficient ternary OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingshun Gao
- State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
- School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Zhongyuan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, 451191, China
| | - Hairui Bai
- State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Ping Li
- State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Yibo Zhou
- State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xi'an University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, 710054, China
| | - Wenyan Su
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xi'an University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, 710054, China
| | - Chang Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Li
- Laboratory of Advanced Optoelectronic Materials, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Novel Semiconductor-Optoelectronics Materials and Devices, College of Chemistry Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China
| | - Yue Wu
- Laboratory of Advanced Optoelectronic Materials, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Novel Semiconductor-Optoelectronics Materials and Devices, College of Chemistry Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China
| | - Bin Hu
- Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710054, China
| | - Zezhou Liang
- Key Laboratory for Physical Electronics and Devices of the Ministry of Education & Shaanxi, Key Lab of Photonic Technique for Information, School of Electronics Science & Engineering, Faculty of Electronic and Information Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Zhaozhao Bi
- State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Xiong Li
- Department of Physics, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Lihe Yan
- Key Laboratory for Physical Electronics and Devices of the Ministry of Education & Shaanxi, Key Lab of Photonic Technique for Information, School of Electronics Science & Engineering, Faculty of Electronic and Information Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Huiling Du
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xi'an University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, 710054, China
| | - Guanghao Lu
- Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710054, China
| | - Chao Gao
- Key Laboratory of Liquid Crystal and Organic Photovoltaic Materials, State Key Laboratory of Fluorine & Nitrogen Chemicals, Xi'an Modern Chemistry Research Institute, Xi'an, 710065, China
| | - Kun Wang
- School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Zhongyuan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, 451191, China
| | - Yuhang Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Wei Ma
- State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Qunping Fan
- State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
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3
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Zhang L, Deng D, Lu K, Wei Z. Optimization of Charge Management and Energy Loss in All-Small-Molecule Organic Solar Cells. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2302915. [PMID: 37399575 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202302915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
All-small-molecule organic solar cells (ASM-OSCs) have received tremendous attention in recent decades because of their advantages over their polymer counterparts. These advantages include well-defined chemical structures, easy purification, and negligible batch-to-batch variation. Remarkable progress with a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of over 17% has recently been achieved with improved charge management (FF × JSC) and reduced energy loss (Eloss). Morphology control is the key factor in the progress of ASM-OSCs, which remains a significant challenge because of the similarities in the molecular structures of the donors and acceptors. In this review, the effective strategies for charge management and/or Eloss reduction from the perspective of effective morphology control are summarized. The aim is to provide practical insights and guidance for material design and device optimization to promote further development of ASM-OSCs to a level where they can compete with or even surpass the efficiency of polymer solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
- Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research, Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Dan Deng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Kun Lu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Zhixiang Wei
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
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4
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Gao W, Ma R, Dela Peña TA, Yan C, Li H, Li M, Wu J, Cheng P, Zhong C, Wei Z, Jen AKY, Li G. Efficient all-small-molecule organic solar cells processed with non-halogen solvent. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1946. [PMID: 38431627 PMCID: PMC10908865 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46144-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
All-small-molecule organic solar cells with good batch-to-batch reproducibility combined with non-halogen solvent processing show great potential for commercialization. However, non-halogen solvent processing of all-small-molecule organic solar cells are rarely reported and its power conversion efficiencies are very difficult to improve. Herein, we designed and synthesized a small molecule donor BM-ClEH that can take advantage of strong aggregation property induced by intramolecular chlorine-sulfur non-covalent interaction to improve molecular pre-aggregation in tetrahydrofuran and corresponding micromorphology after film formation. Tetrahydrofuran-fabricated all-small-molecule organic solar cells based on BM-ClEH:BO-4Cl achieved high power conversion efficiencies of 15.0% in binary device and 16.1% in ternary device under thermal annealing treatment. In contrast, weakly aggregated BM-HEH without chlorine-sulfur non-covalent bond is almost inefficient under same processing conditions due to poor pre-aggregation induced disordered π-π stacking, indistinct phase separation and exciton dissociation. This work promotes the development of non-halogen solvent processing of all-small-molecule organic solar cells and provides further guidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Gao
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Advanced Manufacturing, Institute of Luminescent Materials and Information Displays, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, 361021, China
| | - Ruijie Ma
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China.
| | - Top Archie Dela Peña
- Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
- Advanced Materials Thrust, Function Hub, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Nansha, Guangzhou, 511442, China
| | - Cenqi Yan
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China
| | - Hongxiang Li
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China.
| | - Mingjie Li
- Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Jiaying Wu
- Advanced Materials Thrust, Function Hub, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Nansha, Guangzhou, 511442, China
| | - Pei Cheng
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China
| | - Cheng Zhong
- Department of Chemistry, Hubei Key Lab on Organic and Polymeric Optoelectronic Materials, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Zhanhua Wei
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Advanced Manufacturing, Institute of Luminescent Materials and Information Displays, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, 361021, China
| | - Alex K-Y Jen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong, China.
- Hong Kong Institute for Clean Energy, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Gang Li
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China.
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5
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Wei W, Zhang C, Chen Z, Chen W, Ran G, Pan G, Zhang W, Müller-Buschbaum P, Bo Z, Yang C, Luo Z. Precise Methylation Yields Acceptor with Hydrogen-Bonding Network for High-Efficiency and Thermally Stable Polymer Solar Cells. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202315625. [PMID: 38100221 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202315625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
Utilizing intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions stands for an effective approach in advancing the efficiency and stability of small-molecule acceptors (SMAs) for polymer solar cells. Herein, we synthesized three SMAs (Qo1, Qo2, and Qo3) using indeno[1,2-b]quinoxalin-11-one (Qox) as the electron-deficient group, with the incorporation of a methylation strategy. Through crystallographic analysis, it is observed that two Qox-based methylated acceptors (Qo2 and Qo3) exhibit multiple hydrogen bond-assisted 3D network transport structures, in contrast to the 2D transport structure observed in gem-dichlorinated counterpart (Qo4). Notably, Qo2 exhibits multiple and stronger hydrogen-bonding interactions compared with Qo3. Consequently, PM6 : Qo2 device realizes the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.4 %, surpassing the efficiencies of devices based on Qo1 (15.8 %), Qo3 (16.7 %), and Qo4 (2.4 %). This remarkable PCE in PM6 : Qo2 device can be primarily ascribed to the enhanced donor-acceptor miscibility, more favorable medium structure, and more efficient charge transfer and collection behavior. Moreover, the PM6 : Qo2 device demonstrates exceptional thermal stability, retaining 82.8 % of its initial PCE after undergoing annealing at 65 °C for 250 hours. Our research showcases that precise methylation, particularly targeting the formation of intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions to tune crystal packing patterns, represents a promising strategy in the molecular design of efficient and stable SMAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weifei Wei
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of New Information Display and Storage Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
| | - Cai'e Zhang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of New Information Display and Storage Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
- Key Laboratory of Energy Conversion and Storage Materials, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, 100875, Beijing, China
| | - Zhanxiang Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of New Information Display and Storage Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Ultraintense Laser and Advanced Material Technology, Center for Advanced Material Diagnostic Technology, and College of Engineering Physics, Shenzhen Technology University, 518118, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guangliu Ran
- Department of Physics and Applied Optics Beijing Area Major Laboratory, Beijing Normal University, 100875, Beijing, China
| | - Guangjiu Pan
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Department of Physics, Chair for Functional Materials, James-Franck-Str. 1, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Wenkai Zhang
- Department of Physics and Applied Optics Beijing Area Major Laboratory, Beijing Normal University, 100875, Beijing, China
| | - Peter Müller-Buschbaum
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Department of Physics, Chair for Functional Materials, James-Franck-Str. 1, 85748, Garching, Germany
- Technical University of Munich, Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ), Lichtenbergstraße 1, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Zhishan Bo
- Key Laboratory of Energy Conversion and Storage Materials, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, 100875, Beijing, China
| | - Chuluo Yang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of New Information Display and Storage Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhenghui Luo
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of New Information Display and Storage Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
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6
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Zou B, Wu W, Dela Peña TA, Ma R, Luo Y, Hai Y, Xie X, Li M, Luo Z, Wu J, Yang C, Li G, Yan H. Step-by-Step Modulation of Crystalline Features and Exciton Kinetics for 19.2% Efficiency Ortho-Xylene Processed Organic Solar Cells. NANO-MICRO LETTERS 2023; 16:30. [PMID: 37995001 PMCID: PMC10667184 DOI: 10.1007/s40820-023-01241-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
With plenty of popular and effective ternary organic solar cells (OSCs) construction strategies proposed and applied, its power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) have come to a new level of over 19% in single-junction devices. However, previous studies are heavily based in chloroform (CF) leaving behind substantial knowledge deficiencies in understanding the influence of solvent choice when introducing a third component. Herein, we present a case where a newly designed asymmetric small molecular acceptor using fluoro-methoxylated end-group modification strategy, named BTP-BO-3FO with enlarged bandgap, brings different morphological evolution and performance improvement effect on host system PM6:BTP-eC9, processed by CF and ortho-xylene (o-XY). With detailed analyses supported by a series of experiments, the best PCE of 19.24% for green solvent-processed OSCs is found to be a fruit of finely tuned crystalline ordering and general aggregation motif, which furthermore nourishes a favorable charge generation and recombination behavior. Likewise, over 19% PCE can be achieved by replacing spin-coating with blade coating for active layer deposition. This work focuses on understanding the commonly met yet frequently ignored issues when building ternary blends to demonstrate cutting-edge device performance, hence, will be instructive to other ternary OSC works in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bosen Zou
- Department of Chemistry Department of Chemistry and Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Weiwei Wu
- Department of Chemistry Department of Chemistry and Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Top Archie Dela Peña
- Department of Chemistry Department of Chemistry and Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
- The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Function Hub, Advanced Materials Thrust, NanshaGuangzhou, 511400, People's Republic of China
- Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruijie Ma
- Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao (GHM) Joint Laboratory for Photonic-Thermal-Electrical Energy Materials and Devices, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yongmin Luo
- The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Function Hub, Advanced Materials Thrust, NanshaGuangzhou, 511400, People's Republic of China
| | - Yulong Hai
- The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Function Hub, Advanced Materials Thrust, NanshaGuangzhou, 511400, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiyun Xie
- Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao (GHM) Joint Laboratory for Photonic-Thermal-Electrical Energy Materials and Devices, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, People's Republic of China
| | - Mingjie Li
- Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhenghui Luo
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of New Information Display and Storage Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jiaying Wu
- The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Function Hub, Advanced Materials Thrust, NanshaGuangzhou, 511400, People's Republic of China.
| | - Chuluo Yang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of New Information Display and Storage Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People's Republic of China
| | - Gang Li
- Department of Chemistry Department of Chemistry and Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - He Yan
- Department of Chemistry Department of Chemistry and Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.
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7
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Liu KX, Yang J, Bai Y, Li QS. Designing Benzodithiophene-Based Small Molecule Donors for Organic Solar Cells by Regulation of Halogenation Effects. J Phys Chem A 2023; 127:8985-8993. [PMID: 37874943 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.3c04347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
The donors are key components of organic solar cells (OSCs) and play crucial roles in their photovoltaic performance. Herein, we designed two new donors (BTR-γ-Cl and BTR-γ-F) by finely optimizing small molecule donors (BTR-Cl and BTR-F) with a high performance. The optoelectronic properties of the four donors and their interfacial properties with the well-known acceptor Y6 were studied by density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory. Our calculations show that the studied four donors have large hole mobility and strong interactions with Y6, where the BTR-γ-Cl/Y6 has the largest binding energy. Importantly, the proportion of charge transfer (CT) states increases at the BTR-γ-Cl/Y6 (50%) and BTR-γ-F/Y6 (45%) interfaces. The newly designed donors are more likely to achieve CT states through intermolecular electric field (IEF) and hot exciton mechanisms than the parent molecules; meanwhile, donors containing Cl atoms are more inclined to produce CT states through the direct excitation mechanism than those containing F atoms. Our results not only provided two promising donors but also shed light on the halogenation effects on donors in OSCs, which might be important to design efficient photovoltaic materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai-Xin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Cluster Science of Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Photoelectronic/Electrophotonic Conversion Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Jie Yang
- Key Laboratory of Cluster Science of Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Photoelectronic/Electrophotonic Conversion Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yang Bai
- Key Laboratory of Cluster Science of Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Photoelectronic/Electrophotonic Conversion Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Quan-Song Li
- Key Laboratory of Cluster Science of Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Photoelectronic/Electrophotonic Conversion Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
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8
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Chen L, Yi J, Ma R, Ding L, Dela Peña TA, Liu H, Chen J, Zhang C, Zhao C, Lu W, Wei Q, Zhao B, Hu H, Wu J, Ma Z, Lu X, Li M, Zhang G, Li G, Yan H. An Isomeric Solid Additive Enables High-Efficiency Polymer Solar Cells Developed Using a Benzo-Difuran-Based Donor Polymer. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2301231. [PMID: 37044383 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202301231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Currently, nearly all high-efficiency organic photovoltaic devices use donor polymers based on the benzo-dithiophene (BDT) unit. To diversify the choices of building blocks for high-performance donor polymers, the use of benzo-difuran (BDF) units is explored, which can achieve reduced steric hindrance, stronger molecular packing, and tunable energy levels. In previous research, the performance of BDF-based devices lagged behind those of BDT-based devices. In this study, a high efficiency (18.4%) is achieved using a BDF-based polymer donor, which is the highest efficiency reported for BDF donor materials to date. The high efficiency is enabled by a donor polymer (D18-Fu) and the aid of a solid additive (2-chloronaphthalene), which is the isomer of the commonly used additive 1-chloronaphthalene. These results revealed the significant effect of 2-chloronaphthalene in optimizing the morphology and enhancing the device parameters. This work not only provides a new building block that can achieve an efficiency comparable to dominant BDT units but also proposes a new solid additive that can replace the widely used 1-chloronaphthalene additive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Chen
- College of New Materials and New Energies, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118, P. R. China
- Department of Chemistry and Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Jicheng Yi
- Department of Chemistry and Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Ruijie Ma
- Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao (GHM) Joint Laboratory for Photonic-Thermal-Electrical Energy Materials and Devices, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Lu Ding
- Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Fok Ying Tung Research Institute, S&T Building, Nansha IT Park, Guangzhou City, 511458, P. R. China
| | - Top Archie Dela Peña
- Department of Chemistry and Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
- Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
- The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Function Hub, Advanced Materials Thrust, Nansha, Guangzhou, 511400, P. R. China
| | - Heng Liu
- Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Jian Chen
- Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Fok Ying Tung Research Institute, S&T Building, Nansha IT Park, Guangzhou City, 511458, P. R. China
| | - Cuifen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Center for Advanced Low-dimension Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, P. R. China
| | - Chaoyue Zhao
- College of New Materials and New Energies, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118, P. R. China
| | - Wen Lu
- Key Laboratory of Polymeric Materials & Application Technology of Hunan Province, College of Chemistry, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, 411105, P. R. China
| | - Qi Wei
- Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Bin Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Polymeric Materials & Application Technology of Hunan Province, College of Chemistry, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, 411105, P. R. China
| | - Huawei Hu
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Center for Advanced Low-dimension Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, P. R. China
| | - Jiaying Wu
- The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Function Hub, Advanced Materials Thrust, Nansha, Guangzhou, 511400, P. R. China
| | - Zaifei Ma
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Center for Advanced Low-dimension Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, P. R. China
| | - Xinhui Lu
- Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Mingjie Li
- Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Guangye Zhang
- College of New Materials and New Energies, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118, P. R. China
| | - Gang Li
- Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao (GHM) Joint Laboratory for Photonic-Thermal-Electrical Energy Materials and Devices, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - He Yan
- Department of Chemistry and Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
- Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Fok Ying Tung Research Institute, S&T Building, Nansha IT Park, Guangzhou City, 511458, P. R. China
- eFlexPV Limited (Foshan), Guicheng Street, Nanhai District, Foshan, 528200, P. R. China
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9
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Gao Y, Yang X, Wang W, Sun R, Cui J, Fu Y, Li K, Zhang M, Liu C, Zhu H, Lu X, Min J. High-Performance Small Molecule Organic Solar Cells Enabled by a Symmetric-Asymmetric Alloy Acceptor with a Broad Composition Tolerance. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023:e2300531. [PMID: 36989324 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202300531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Using a combinatory blending strategy is demonstrated as a promising path for designing efficient organic solar cells (OSCs) by boosting the short-circuit current density and fill factor. Herein, a high-performance ternary all-small molecule OSC (all-SMOSCs) using a narrow-bandgap alloy acceptor containing symmetric and asymmetric molecules (BTP-eC9 and SSe-NIC) and a wide-bandgap small molecule donor MPhS-C2 is reported. Introducing the synthesized SSe-NIC into the MPhS-C2:BTP-eC9 host system can broaden the absorption spectrum, modulate energy offsets, and optimize the molecular packing of the host materials. After systematically optimizing the weight ratio of MPhS-C2:BTP-eC9:SSe-NIC, a champion efficiency of 18.02% is achieved. Impressively, the ternary system not only delivered a broad composition tolerance with device efficiencies over 17% throughout the whole blend ratios, but also exhibited less non-geminate recombination and energy loss, and better-light-soaking stability than the corresponding binary systems. This work promotes the development of high-performance ternary all-SMOSCs and heralds their brighter application prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Gao
- The Institute for Advanced Studies, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, P. R. China
| | - Xinrong Yang
- The Institute for Advanced Studies, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, P. R. China
| | - Wei Wang
- The Institute for Advanced Studies, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, P. R. China
| | - Rui Sun
- The Institute for Advanced Studies, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, P. R. China
| | - Jiting Cui
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China
| | - Yuang Fu
- Department of Physics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Kai Li
- Skate Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for Architectures (SMART), Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China
| | - Meimei Zhang
- The Institute for Advanced Studies, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, P. R. China
| | - Chao Liu
- Skate Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for Architectures (SMART), Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China
| | - Haiming Zhu
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China
| | - Xinhui Lu
- Department of Physics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Jie Min
- The Institute for Advanced Studies, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, P. R. China
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