1
|
Dauzon E, Sallenave X, Plesse C, Goubard F, Amassian A, Anthopoulos TD. Pushing the Limits of Flexibility and Stretchability of Solar Cells: A Review. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2021; 33:e2101469. [PMID: 34297433 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202101469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Emerging forms of soft, flexible, and stretchable electronics promise to revolutionize the electronics industries of the future offering radically new products that combine multiple functionalities, including power generation, with arbitrary form factor. For example, skin-like electronics promise to transform the human-machine-interface, but the softness of the skin is incompatible with traditional electronic components. To address this issue, new strategies toward soft and wearable electronic systems are currently being pursued, which also include stretchable photovoltaics as self-powering systems for use in autonomous and stretchable electronics of the future. Here recent developments in the field of stretchable photovoltaics are reviewed and their potential for various emerging applications are examined. Emphasis is placed on the different strategies to induce stretchability including extrinsic and intrinsic approaches. In the former case, engineering and patterning of the materials and devices are key elements while intrinsically stretchable systems rely on mechanically compliant materials such as elastomers and organic conjugated polymers. The result is a review article that provides a comprehensive summary of the progress to date in the field of stretchable solar cells from the nanoscale to macroscopic functional devices. The article is concluded by discussing the emerging trends and future developments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Dauzon
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), KAUST Solar Centre (KSC), Physical Science and Engineering Division, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Cedric Plesse
- LPPI, CY Cergy Paris Université, Cergy, 95000, France
| | | | - Aram Amassian
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Organic and Carbon Electronic Laboratories (ORaCEL), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Thomas D Anthopoulos
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), KAUST Solar Centre (KSC), Physical Science and Engineering Division, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhao T, Wang H, Pu M, Lai H, Chen H, Zhu Y, Zheng N, He F. Tuning the Molecular Weight of
Chlorine‐Substituted
Polymer Donors for Small Energy Loss
†. CHINESE J CHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/cjoc.202000735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tingxing Zhao
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen Guangdong 518055 China
| | - Huan Wang
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen Guangdong 518055 China
| | - Mingrui Pu
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen Guangdong 518055 China
| | - Hanjian Lai
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen Guangdong 518055 China
| | - Hui Chen
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen Guangdong 518055 China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen Guangdong 518055 China
| | - Yulin Zhu
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen Guangdong 518055 China
| | - Nan Zheng
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China, University of Technology Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, China Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen Guangdong 518055 China
| | - Feng He
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen Guangdong 518055 China
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China, University of Technology Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, China Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen Guangdong 518055 China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Chu JY, Lin CY, Tu TH, Hong SH, Chang YY, Yang CW, Chan YT, Liu CL, Komarov PV, Tung SH. Methyl-Branched Side Chains on Polythiophene Suppress Chain Mobility and Crystallization to Enhance Photovoltaic Performance. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c00346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Yi Chu
- Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering and Advanced Research Center for Green Materials Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Yi Lin
- Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering and Advanced Research Center for Green Materials Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Tsung-Han Tu
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Shao-Huan Hong
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Ying Chang
- Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering and Advanced Research Center for Green Materials Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Wei Yang
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Tsu Chan
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Liang Liu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Pavel V. Komarov
- Tver State University, Tver 170100 Russia
- A.N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds RAS, Vavilova St. 28, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Shih-Huang Tung
- Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering and Advanced Research Center for Green Materials Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Brunner PLM, Beaudoin D, Heskia A, Maris T, Dubois MA, Wuest JD. Low-bandgap push–pull molecules in polymer matrices for use in thin-film organic photovoltaic devices. CAN J CHEM 2020. [DOI: 10.1139/cjc-2020-0081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Conjugated polymers are widely used in thin-film organic photovoltaic devices to absorb light and serve as electron donors or acceptors. Small molecular analogues are attractive substitutes because they have fully defined structures, can be purified rigorously, and are typically more soluble and volatile. However, producing active films composed primarily of small molecules remains challenging. We have devised bulk heterojunction solar cells in which poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) and poly[[9-(1-octylnonyl)-9H-carbazole-2,7-diyl]-2,5-thiophenediyl-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole-4,7-diyl-2,5-thiophenediyl] are used as matrices to prepare films containing low-bandgap push–pull molecules as electron donors and (6,6)-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester or (6,6)-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester as electron acceptors. Compared with reference devices devoid of push–pull molecular additives, increases in power conversion efficiencies up to 30.4% were measured.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pierre-Louis M. Brunner
- Département de Chimie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
- Département de Chimie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Daniel Beaudoin
- Département de Chimie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
- Département de Chimie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Alice Heskia
- Département de Chimie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
- Département de Chimie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Thierry Maris
- Département de Chimie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
- Département de Chimie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Marc-André Dubois
- Département de Chimie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
- Département de Chimie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - James D. Wuest
- Département de Chimie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
- Département de Chimie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Pang S, Liu L, Sun X, Dong S, Wang Z, Zhang R, Guo Y, Li W, Zheng N, Duan C, Huang F, Cao Y. A Wide-Bandgap Conjugated Polymer Based on Quinoxalino[6,5-f ]quinoxaline for Fullerene and Non-Fullerene Polymer Solar Cells. Macromol Rapid Commun 2019; 40:e1900120. [PMID: 31021506 DOI: 10.1002/marc.201900120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
A wide-bandgap conjugated polymer, PNQx-2F2T, based on a ring-fused unit of quinoxalino[6,5-f ]quinoxaline (NQx), is synthesized for use as electron donor in polymer solar cells (PSCs). The polymer shows intense light absorption in the range from 300 to 740 nm and favorable energy levels of frontier molecular orbitals. The polymer has afforded decent device performance when blended with either fullerene-based acceptor [6,6]-phenyl-C71 -butylric acid methyl ester ([70]PCBM) or non-fullerene acceptor 3,9-bis(2-methylene-(3-(1,1-dicyanomethylene)-indanone-methyl))-5,5,11,11-tetrakis(4-n-hexylphenyl)-dithieno[2,3-d: 2',3'-d']-s-indaceno[1,2-b:5,6-b']dithiophene (IT-M). The highest PCEs of 7.9% and 7.5% have been achieved for [70]PCBM or IT-M based PSCs, respectively. Moreover, the influence of molecular weight of PNQx-2F2T on solar cell performance has been investigated. It is found that fullerene-based devices prefer higher polymer molecular weight, while non-fullerene devices are not susceptible to the molecular weight of PNQx-2F2T. The device results are extensively explained by electrical and morphological characterizations. This work not only evidences the potential of NQx for constructing high-performance photovoltaic polymers but also demonstrates a useful structure-performance relationship for efficiency enhancement of non-fullerene PSCs via the development of new conjugated polymers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuting Pang
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P. R. China.,South China Institute of Collaborative Innovation, Dongguan, 523808, P. R. China
| | - Liqian Liu
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P. R. China
| | - Xiaofei Sun
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P. R. China
| | - Sheng Dong
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P. R. China
| | - Zhenfeng Wang
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P. R. China
| | - Ruiwen Zhang
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P. R. China
| | - Yiting Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Weiwei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Nan Zheng
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P. R. China
| | - Chunhui Duan
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P. R. China
| | - Fei Huang
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P. R. China
| | - Yong Cao
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
McBride M, Persson N, Keane D, Bacardi G, Reichmanis E, Grover MA. A Polymer Blend Approach for Creation of Effective Conjugated Polymer Charge Transport Pathways. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2018; 10:36464-36474. [PMID: 30273486 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b13255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the role of the distribution of polymer chain lengths on process-structure-property relationships in semiconducting organic electronics has remained elusive due to challenges in synthesizing targeted molecular weights ( Mw) and polydispersity indices. Here, a facile blending approach of various poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) molecular weights is used to investigate the impact of the distribution of polymer chain lengths on self-assembly into aggregates and associated charge transport properties. Low and high Mw samples were blended to form a highly polydisperse sample which was compared to a similar, medium Mw control. Self-assembly was induced by preprocessing the polymer solution with UV irradiation and subsequent solution aging before deposition via blade-coating. Superior charge carrier (hole) mobilities were observed for the blend and control samples. Furthermore, their solution lifetimes exceeded 14 days. UV-vis spectral analysis suggests that low Mw P3HT lacks the mesoscale crystallinity required for percolative charge transport. In contrast, when the Mw is too high, the polymer rapidly aggregates, leading to paracrystalline disorder and structural inhomogeneity that interrupts charge-transfer pathways. The role of grain boundaries, fibrillar order, and macroscale alignment is characterized via grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering, atomic force microscopic, and optical microscopic techniques. The results presented here provide additional guidance on the interplay between polymer solubility, self-assembly, network interconnectivity, and charge transport to enable robust polymer ink formulations with reliable and reproducible performance attributes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael McBride
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering , Georgia Institute of Technology , 311 Ferst Drive , Atlanta , Georgia 30332 , United States
| | - Nils Persson
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering , Georgia Institute of Technology , 311 Ferst Drive , Atlanta , Georgia 30332 , United States
| | - Danny Keane
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering , Georgia Institute of Technology , 311 Ferst Drive , Atlanta , Georgia 30332 , United States
| | - Guillermo Bacardi
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering , Georgia Institute of Technology , 311 Ferst Drive , Atlanta , Georgia 30332 , United States
| | - Elsa Reichmanis
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering , Georgia Institute of Technology , 311 Ferst Drive , Atlanta , Georgia 30332 , United States
- School of Chemistry & Biochemistry , Georgia Institute of Technology , 901 Atlantic Drive , Atlanta , Georgia 30332 , United States
- School of Materials Science and Engineering , Georgia Institute of Technology , 771 Ferst Drive , Atlanta , Georgia 30332 , United States
| | - Martha A Grover
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering , Georgia Institute of Technology , 311 Ferst Drive , Atlanta , Georgia 30332 , United States
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Lee SM, Park KH, Jung S, Park H, Yang C. Stepwise heating in Stille polycondensation toward no batch-to-batch variations in polymer solar cell performance. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1867. [PMID: 29760443 PMCID: PMC5951883 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03718-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
For a given π-conjugated polymer, the batch-to-batch variations in molecular weight (Mw) and polydispersity index (Ð) can lead to inconsistent process-dependent material properties and consequent performance variations in the device application. Using a stepwise-heating protocol in the Stille polycondensation in conjunction with optimized processing, we obtained an ultrahigh-quality PTB7 polymer having high Mw and very narrow Ð. The resulting ultrahigh-quality polymer-based solar cells demonstrate up to 9.97% power conversion efficiencies (PCEs), which is over 24% enhancement from the control devices fabricated with commercially available PTB7. Moreover, we observe almost negligible batch-to-batch variations in the overall PCE values from ultrahigh-quality polymer-based devices. The proposed stepwise polymerization demonstrates a facile and effective strategy for synthesizing high-quality semiconducting polymers that can significantly improve device yield in polymer-based solar cells, an important factor for the commercialization of organic solar cells, by mitigating device-to-device variations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sang Myeon Lee
- Department of Energy Engineering, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Low Dimensional Carbon Materials Center, Perovtronics Research Center, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), 50 UNIST-gil, Ulju-gun, Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwang Hyun Park
- Department of Energy Engineering, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Low Dimensional Carbon Materials Center, Perovtronics Research Center, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), 50 UNIST-gil, Ulju-gun, Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Seungon Jung
- Department of Energy Engineering, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Low Dimensional Carbon Materials Center, Perovtronics Research Center, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), 50 UNIST-gil, Ulju-gun, Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyesung Park
- Department of Energy Engineering, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Low Dimensional Carbon Materials Center, Perovtronics Research Center, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), 50 UNIST-gil, Ulju-gun, Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea.
| | - Changduk Yang
- Department of Energy Engineering, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Low Dimensional Carbon Materials Center, Perovtronics Research Center, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), 50 UNIST-gil, Ulju-gun, Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Benavides CM, Murto P, Chochos CL, Gregoriou VG, Avgeropoulos A, Xu X, Bini K, Sharma A, Andersson MR, Schmidt O, Brabec CJ, Wang E, Tedde SF. High-Performance Organic Photodetectors from a High-Bandgap Indacenodithiophene-Based π-Conjugated Donor-Acceptor Polymer. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2018; 10:12937-12946. [PMID: 29589432 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b03824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
A conjugated donor-acceptor polymer, poly[4,4,9,9-tetrakis(4-hexylphenyl)-4,9-dihydro- s-indaceno[1,2- b:5,6- b']dithiophene-2,7-diyl- alt-5-(2-ethylhexyl)-4 H-thieno[3,4- c]pyrrole-4,6(5 H)-dione-1,3-diyl] (PIDT-TPD), is blended with the fullerene derivative [6,6]phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC61BM) for the fabrication of thin and solution-processed organic photodetectors (OPDs). Systematic screening of the concentration ratio of the blend and the molecular weight of the polymer is performed to optimize the active layer morphology and the OPD performance. The device comprising a medium molecular weight polymer (27.0 kg/mol) in a PIDT-TPD:PC61BM 1:1 ratio exhibits an external quantum efficiency of 52% at 610 nm, a dark current density of 1 nA/cm2, a detectivity of 1.44 × 1013 Jones, and a maximum 3 dB cutoff frequency of 100 kHz at -5 V bias. These results are remarkable among the state-of-the-art red photodetectors based on conjugated polymers. As such, this work presents a functional organic active material for high-speed OPDs with a linear photoresponse at different light intensities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cindy Montenegro Benavides
- Siemens Healthcare GmbH , Günther-Scharowsky-Street 1 , 91058 Erlangen , Germany
- Department für Material Science, i-MEET , Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg , Martensstr. 7 , 91058 Erlangen , Germany
| | - Petri Murto
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering/Applied Chemistry , Chalmers University of Technology , SE-412 96 Gothenburg , Sweden
- Flinders Centre for Nanoscale Science and Technology , Flinders University , Sturt Road , Bedford Park, Adelaide , South Australia 5042 , Australia
| | - Christos L Chochos
- Advent Technologies SA , Patras Science Park, Stadiou Street , Platani-Rio, 26504 Patra , Greece
- Department of Materials Science Engineering , University of Ioannina , Ioannina 45110 , Greece
| | - Vasilis G Gregoriou
- Advent Technologies SA , Patras Science Park, Stadiou Street , Platani-Rio, 26504 Patra , Greece
| | - Apostolos Avgeropoulos
- Department of Materials Science Engineering , University of Ioannina , Ioannina 45110 , Greece
| | - Xiaofeng Xu
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering/Applied Chemistry , Chalmers University of Technology , SE-412 96 Gothenburg , Sweden
| | - Kim Bini
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering/Applied Chemistry , Chalmers University of Technology , SE-412 96 Gothenburg , Sweden
| | - Anirudh Sharma
- Flinders Centre for Nanoscale Science and Technology , Flinders University , Sturt Road , Bedford Park, Adelaide , South Australia 5042 , Australia
| | - Mats R Andersson
- Flinders Centre for Nanoscale Science and Technology , Flinders University , Sturt Road , Bedford Park, Adelaide , South Australia 5042 , Australia
| | - Oliver Schmidt
- Siemens Healthcare GmbH , Günther-Scharowsky-Street 1 , 91058 Erlangen , Germany
| | - Christoph J Brabec
- Department für Material Science, i-MEET , Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg , Martensstr. 7 , 91058 Erlangen , Germany
| | - Ergang Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering/Applied Chemistry , Chalmers University of Technology , SE-412 96 Gothenburg , Sweden
| | - Sandro F Tedde
- Siemens Healthcare GmbH , Günther-Scharowsky-Street 1 , 91058 Erlangen , Germany
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Bruchlos K, Trefz D, Hamidi-Sakr A, Brinkmann M, Heinze J, Ruff A, Ludwigs S. Poly(3-hexylthiophene) revisited – Influence of film deposition on the electrochemical behaviour and energy levels. Electrochim Acta 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2018.02.126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
|
10
|
Li Z, Yang D, Zhang T, Zhang J, Zhao X, Yang X. High-Performance Additive-/Post-Treatment-Free Nonfullerene Polymer Solar Cells via Tuning Molecular Weight of Conjugated Polymers. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2018; 14:e1704491. [PMID: 29571214 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201704491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2017] [Revised: 02/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, rapid advances are achieved in polymer solar cells (PSCs) using nonfullerene small molecular acceptors. However, no research disclosing the influence of molecular weight (Mn ) of conjugated polymer on the nonfullerene device performance is reported. In this work, a series of polymers with different Mn s are synthesized to systematically investigate the connection between Mn and performance of nonfullerene devices for the first time. It is found that the device performance improves substantially as the Mn increases from 12 to 38 kDa and a power conversion efficiency (PCE) as high as 10.5% is realized. It has to be noted this PCE is achieved without using any additives and post-treatments, which is among the top efficiencies of additive- and post-treatment-free PSCs. Most importantly, the variation trend of the optimal active layer thickness and morphology is significantly different from the device with fullerene as acceptor. The findings clarify the effect of Mn on the performance of nonfullerene PSCs, which would benefit further efficiency improvement of nonfullerene PSCs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zelin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Renmin Str. 5625, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China
- Polymer Composites Engineering Laboratory, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Renmin Str. 5625, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Dalei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Renmin Str. 5625, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China
- Polymer Composites Engineering Laboratory, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Renmin Str. 5625, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China
| | - Tong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Renmin Str. 5625, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China
- Polymer Composites Engineering Laboratory, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Renmin Str. 5625, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Jidong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Renmin Str. 5625, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoli Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Renmin Str. 5625, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China
- Polymer Composites Engineering Laboratory, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Renmin Str. 5625, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoniu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Renmin Str. 5625, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China
- Polymer Composites Engineering Laboratory, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Renmin Str. 5625, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Wang Z, Zhu X, Zhang J, Lu K, Fang J, Zhang Y, Wang Z, Zhu L, Ma W, Shuai Z, Wei Z. From Alloy-Like to Cascade Blended Structure: Designing High-Performance All-Small-Molecule Ternary Solar Cells. J Am Chem Soc 2018; 140:1549-1556. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b13054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Wang
- CAS
Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center
for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, PR China
- MOE
Key Laboratory of Organic Optoelectronics and Molecular Engineering,
Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
| | - Xiangwei Zhu
- CAS
Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center
for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, PR China
| | - Jianqi Zhang
- CAS
Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center
for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, PR 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, PR China
| | - Jin Fang
- CAS
Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center
for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, PR China
| | - Yajie Zhang
- CAS
Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center
for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, PR China
| | - Zaiyu Wang
- State
Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, PR China
| | - Lingyun Zhu
- CAS
Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center
for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, PR China
| | - Wei Ma
- State
Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, PR China
| | - Zhigang Shuai
- MOE
Key Laboratory of Organic Optoelectronics and Molecular Engineering,
Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR 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, PR China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Bi S, Ouyang Z, Guo Q, Jiang C. Performance enhancement by vertical morphology alteration of the active layer in organic solar cells. RSC Adv 2018; 8:6519-6526. [PMID: 35540417 PMCID: PMC9078248 DOI: 10.1039/c7ra13219k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In this work, the P3HT/PCBM system is used as a benchmark to simulate five vertical configurations which cover all possibilities of donor and acceptor aggregation in the OSC active layer. Uniform blending of donor and acceptor results in the highest PCE.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Bi
- Key Laboratory for Precision and Non-traditional Machining Technology of the Ministry of Education
- Dalian University of Technology
- Dalian 116024
- P. R. China
- Institute of Photoelectric Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
| | - Zhongliang Ouyang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Center for Materials for Information Technology
- The University of Alabama
- Tuscaloosa
- USA
| | - Qinglei Guo
- Department of Material Science and Engineering
- Frederick Seitz Material Research Laboratory
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Urbana
- USA
| | - Chengming Jiang
- Key Laboratory for Precision and Non-traditional Machining Technology of the Ministry of Education
- Dalian University of Technology
- Dalian 116024
- P. R. China
- Institute of Photoelectric Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Nia NY, Matteocci F, Cina L, Di Carlo A. High-Efficiency Perovskite Solar Cell Based on Poly(3-Hexylthiophene): Influence of Molecular Weight and Mesoscopic Scaffold Layer. CHEMSUSCHEM 2017; 10:3854-3860. [PMID: 28556618 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201700635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Revised: 05/21/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Here, we investigated the effect of the molecular weight (MW) of poly 3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) hole-transport material on the performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). We found that by increasing the MW the photovoltaic performances of the cells are enhanced leading to an improvement of the overall efficiency. P3HT-based PSCs with a MW of 124 kDa can achieve an overall average efficiency of 16.2 %, double with respect to the ones with a MW of 44 kDa. Opposite to spiro-OMeTAD-based PSCs, the photovoltaic parameters of the P3HT-based devices are enhanced by increasing the mesoporous TiO2 layer thickness from 250 to 500 nm. Moreover, for a titania scaffold layer thickness of 500 nm, the efficiency of P3HT-based PSCs with high MW is larger than the spiro-OMeTAD based PSCs with the same scaffold layer thickness. Recombination reactions of the devices were also investigated by voltage decay and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. We found that the relationship between P3HT MW and cell performance is related to the reduction of charge recombination and to the increase of the P3HT light absorption by increasing the MW.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Narges Yaghoobi Nia
- Centre for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy (CHOSE), University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, Rome, 00133, Italy
| | - Fabio Matteocci
- Centre for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy (CHOSE), University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, Rome, 00133, Italy
| | - Lucio Cina
- Centre for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy (CHOSE), University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, Rome, 00133, Italy
| | - Aldo Di Carlo
- Centre for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy (CHOSE), University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, Rome, 00133, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Chen XW, Tao SL, Fan C, Chen DC, Zhou L, Lin H, Zheng CJ, Su SJ. Ternary Organic Solar Cells with Coumarin7 as the Donor Exhibiting Greater Than 10% Power Conversion Efficiency and a High Fill Factor of 75. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2017; 9:29907-29916. [PMID: 28809535 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b07704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Ternary bulk heterojunction (BHJ) is a brilliant photovoltaic technology for improving the performance of organic solar cells (OSCs), because the light absorption range can be significantly extended by using multiple donors or acceptor materials. In this paper, coumarin7 (C7), a small organic molecule typical led used in organic light-emitting diodes, was initially exploited as second electron-donor component in ternary bulk heterojunction OSCs along with conventional blend system spolythieno[3,4-b]-thiophene/benzodithiophene(PTB7) and [6,6]-phenyl-C71 -butyric acid methyl(PC71 BM). A champion PCE value of 10.28% was realized in the ternary OSCs when incorporated with 10 wt % C7 doping ratio in the donors, corresponding to about 35% enhancement compared with the PTB7:PC71BM-based OSCs, a high fill factor (FF) of 75.03%, a short-circuit currentdensity (Jsc) of 18.72 mA cm-2 and an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.73 V. The enhanced performance of the ternary OSCs can be attributed to the simultaneous improvement of the FF and the Jsc. In addition to extended light absorption, a perfect nanofiber filament active layer morphology is obtained due to the good compatibility between C7 and PTB7, which facilitates the balance of charge transportation and the suppression of charge recombination. This investigation suggests that coumarin derivatives, which have completely different structure with polymer donors, can also be used to fabricate ternary solar cells and have the potential applications to obtain amazing performance after further device engineering and optimization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Dong-Cheng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology , Guangzhou 510630, P. R. China
| | | | | | | | - Shi-Jian Su
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology , Guangzhou 510630, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
The influence of electrical effects on device performance of organic solar cells with nano-structured electrodes. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5300. [PMID: 28706263 PMCID: PMC5509690 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-05591-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Integration of light-trapping features and exploitation of metal nanostructure plasmonic effects are promising approaches for enhancing the power conversion efficiency of organic solar cells. These approaches’ effects on the light absorption enhancement have been widely studied, especially in inorganic devices. While this light-trapping concept can be transferred to organic devices, one has to also consider nanostructure-induced electrical effects on the device performance, due to the fundamental difference in the organic semiconducting material properties compared to their inorganic counterparts. In this contribution, we exemplarily model the electrical properties of organic solar cells with rectangular-grating structures, as compared to planar reference devices. Based on our numeric results, we demonstrate that, beyond an optical absorption enhancement, the device fill factor improves significantly by introducing the grating structures. From the simulations we conclude that enhanced carrier collection efficiency is the main reason for the increased solar cell fill factor. This work contributes towards a more fundamental understanding of the effect of nanostructured electrodes on the electrical properties of organic solar cells.
Collapse
|
16
|
Effects of Polymer-Packing Orientation on the Performances of Thin Film Transistors and Photovoltaic Cells. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-57003-7_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
|
17
|
Performance of poly(3-hexylthiophene) in bulk heterojunction solar cells: Influence of polymer size and size distribution. REACT FUNCT POLYM 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2017.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
|
18
|
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Isakova
- Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry; Aston University; Aston Triangle Birmingham B4 7ET United Kingdom
| | - Paul D. Topham
- Aston Institute for Materials Research; School of Engineering & Applied Science, Aston University; Birmingham B4 7ET United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Busby Y, List-Kratochvil EJW, Pireaux JJ. Chemical Analysis of the Interface in Bulk-Heterojunction Solar Cells by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Depth Profiling. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2017; 9:3842-3848. [PMID: 28072913 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b14758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite the wide use of blends combining an organic p-type polymer and molecular fullerene-based electron acceptor, the proper characterization of such bulk heterojunction materials is still challenging. To highlight structure-to-function relations and improve the device performance, advanced tools and strategies need to be developed to characterize composition and interfaces with sufficient accuracy. In this work, high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is combined with very low energy argon ion beam sputtering to perform a nondestructive depth profile chemical analysis on full Al/P3HT:PCBM/PEDOT:PSS/ITO (P3HT, poly(3-hexylthiophene); PCBM, [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester; PEDOT, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene; PSS, polystyrenesulfonate; ITO, indium tin oxide) bulk-heterojunction solar cell device stacks. Key information, such as P3HT and PCBM composition profiles and Al-PCBM chemical bonding, are deduced in this basic device structure. The interface chemical analysis allows us to evidence, with unprecedented accuracy, the inhomogeneous distribution of PCBM, characterized by a strong segregation toward the top metal electrode. The chemical analysis high-resolution spectra allows us to reconstruct P3HT/PCBM ratio through the active layer depth and correlate with the device deposition protocol and performance. Results evidence an inhomogeneous P3HT/PCBM ratio and poorly controllable PCBM migration, which possibly explains the limited light-to-power conversion efficiency in this basic device structure. The work illustrates the high potential of XPS depth profile analysis for studying such organic/inorganic device stacks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Busby
- Research Center in the Physics of Matter and Radiation (PMR), Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Spectroscopie Electronique (LISE), University of Namur , B-5000 Namur, Belgium
| | - Emil J W List-Kratochvil
- Institut für Physik, Institut für Chemie & IRIS Adlershof, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin , Brook-Taylor-Straße 6, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jean-Jacques Pireaux
- Research Center in the Physics of Matter and Radiation (PMR), Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Spectroscopie Electronique (LISE), University of Namur , B-5000 Namur, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Feenstra J, van Eerden M, Lemmens AK, de Poel W, Kouwer PHJ, Rowan AE, Schermer JJ. Muscovite mica as a growth template of PC61BM crystallites for organic photovoltaics. CrystEngComm 2017. [DOI: 10.1039/c6ce02492k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The processing conditions for and (local) performance benefits of epitaxially crystallized PC61BM for organic solar cells are investigated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jon Feenstra
- Radboud University
- Institute for Molecules and Materials
- 6525 AJ Nijmegen
- the Netherlands
- DNV GL
| | - Maarten van Eerden
- Radboud University
- Institute for Molecules and Materials
- 6525 AJ Nijmegen
- the Netherlands
| | - Alexander K. Lemmens
- Radboud University
- Institute for Molecules and Materials
- 6525 AJ Nijmegen
- the Netherlands
| | - Wester de Poel
- Radboud University
- Institute for Molecules and Materials
- 6525 AJ Nijmegen
- the Netherlands
| | - Paul H. J. Kouwer
- Radboud University
- Institute for Molecules and Materials
- 6525 AJ Nijmegen
- the Netherlands
| | - Alan E. Rowan
- Radboud University
- Institute for Molecules and Materials
- 6525 AJ Nijmegen
- the Netherlands
- University of Queensland
| | - John J. Schermer
- Radboud University
- Institute for Molecules and Materials
- 6525 AJ Nijmegen
- the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Garg M, Padmanabhan V. Addition of P3HT-grafted Silica nanoparticles improves bulk-heterojunction morphology in P3HT-PCBM blends. Sci Rep 2016; 6:33219. [PMID: 27628895 PMCID: PMC5024111 DOI: 10.1038/srep33219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
We present molecular dynamics simulations of a ternary blend of P3HT, PCBM and P3HT-grafted silica nanoparticles (SiNP) for applications in polymer-based solar cells. Using coarse-grained models, we study the effect of SiNP on the spatial arrangement of PCBM in P3HT. Our results suggest that addition of SiNP not only alters the morphology of PCBM clusters but also improves the crystallinity of P3HT. We exploit the property of grafted SiNP to self-assemble into a variety of anisotropic structures and the tendency of PCBM to preferentially adhere to SiNP surface, due to favorable interactions, to achieve morphologies with desirable characteristics for the active layer, including domain size, crystallinity of P3HT, and elimination of isolated islands of PCBM. As the concentration of SiNP increases, the number of isolated PCBM molecules decreases, which in turn improves the crystallinity of P3HT domains. We also observe that by tuning the grafting parameters of SiNP, it is possible to achieve structures ranging from cylindrical to sheets to highly interconnected network of strings. The changes brought about by addition of SiNP shows a promising potential to improve the performance of these materials when used as active layers in organic photovoltaics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohit Garg
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302, India
| | - Venkat Padmanabhan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302, India
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Yuan L, Lu K, Xia B, Zhang J, Wang Z, Wang Z, Deng D, Fang J, Zhu L, Wei Z. Acceptor End-Capped Oligomeric Conjugated Molecules with Broadened Absorption and Enhanced Extinction Coefficients for High-Efficiency Organic Solar Cells. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2016; 28:5980-5985. [PMID: 27172541 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201600512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2016] [Revised: 03/23/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Acceptor end-capping of oligomeric conjugated molecules is found to be an effective strategy for simultaneous spectral broadening, extinction coefficient enhancement, and energy level optimization, resulting in profoundly enhanced power conversion efficiencies (of 9.25% and 8.91%) compared to the original oligomers. This strategy is effective in overcoming the absorption disadvantage of oligomers and small molecules due to conjugation limitation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liu Yuan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, 100049, P. R. 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, P. R. China
| | - Benzheng Xia
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Jianqi Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Zhen Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Zaiyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, P. R. 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, P. R. China
| | - Jin Fang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Lingyun Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, P. R. 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, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Khan MS, Al-Suti MK, Maharaja J, Haque A, Al-Balushi R, Raithby PR. Conjugated poly-ynes and poly(metalla-ynes) incorporating thiophene-based spacers for solar cell (SC) applications. J Organomet Chem 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jorganchem.2015.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
|
24
|
Fujita K, Sumino Y, Ide K, Tamba S, Shono K, Shen J, Nishino T, Mori A, Yasuda T. Synthesis of Poly(3-substituted thiophene)s of Remarkably High Solubility in Hydrocarbon via Nickel-Catalyzed Deprotonative Cross-Coupling Polycondensation. Macromolecules 2016. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.5b02524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Fujita
- Department
of Chemical Science and Engineering, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe 657-8501, Japan
| | - Yugo Sumino
- Department
of Chemical Science and Engineering, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe 657-8501, Japan
| | - Kenji Ide
- Department
of Chemical Science and Engineering, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe 657-8501, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Tamba
- Department
of Chemical Science and Engineering, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe 657-8501, Japan
| | - Keisuke Shono
- Department
of Chemical Science and Engineering, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe 657-8501, Japan
| | - Jian Shen
- Department
of Chemical Science and Engineering, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe 657-8501, Japan
| | - Takashi Nishino
- Department
of Chemical Science and Engineering, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe 657-8501, Japan
| | - Atsunori Mori
- Department
of Chemical Science and Engineering, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe 657-8501, Japan
| | - Takeshi Yasuda
- Organic
Thin-Film Solar Cells Group, Photovoltaic Materials Unit, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Liu CH, Tseng WH, Cheng CY, Wu CI, Chou PT, Tung SH. Effects of amorphous poly(3-hexylthiophene) on active-layer structure and solar cells performance. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/polb.23999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chung-Hao Liu
- Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering; National Taiwan University; Taipei Taiwan 10617
| | - Wei-Hsuan Tseng
- Institute of Photonics and Optoelectronics and Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University; Taipei Taiwan 10617
| | - Chih-Yang Cheng
- Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering; National Taiwan University; Taipei Taiwan 10617
| | - Chih-I Wu
- Institute of Photonics and Optoelectronics and Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University; Taipei Taiwan 10617
| | - Pi-Tai Chou
- Department of Chemistry and Center of Emerging Material and Advanced Devices; National Taiwan University; Taipei Taiwan 10617
| | - Shih-Huang Tung
- Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering; National Taiwan University; Taipei Taiwan 10617
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Cong Z, Liu S, Zhao B, Wang W, Liu H, Su J, Guo Z, Wei W, Gao C, An Z. High performance alternating polymers based on two-dimensional conjugated benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene and fluorinated dithienylbenzothiadiazole for solar cells. RSC Adv 2016. [DOI: 10.1039/c6ra13595a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Three D–A polymers based on alkylthienyl substituted benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene (BDTT) and fluorinated 4,7-dialkylthienyl-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole (DTBT) derivatives were synthesized and applied as donors in BHJ solar cells.
Collapse
|
27
|
Lee Y, Oh JY, Son SY, Park T, Jeong U. Effects of Regioregularity and Molecular Weight on the Growth of Polythiophene Nanofibrils and Mixes of Short and Long Nanofibrils To Enhance the Hole Transport. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2015; 7:27694-27702. [PMID: 26618562 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5b08432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Morphological control over polythiophenes has been widely studied; however the impacts of regioregularity (RR) and molecular weight (MW) on their structural development have not been investigated systematically. This study examined a representative polythiophene, poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), to reveal that small differences in the RR can produce a large difference in the growth of nanofibrils. Low-RR P3HTs generated neat long nanofibrils (LNFs), whereas high-RR P3HTs formed short nanofibrils (SNFs). This study identified a critical RR (96-98%) depending on their MW, below which P3HT grew into LNFs and above which P3HT grew into SNFs. This study also found that the mixing ratio between high-RR P3HT and a low-RR P3HT in the solution phase is strongly correlated with the relative populations of SNF and LNF in the coated film. This study suggested that mixing high-RR and low-RR polymers may be a good strategy to optimize the electrical properties of polythiophenes for target applications. As an example, a mixture of high-RR (75%) P3HT and low-RR P3HT (25%) improved considerably the power conversion efficiency of bulk heterojunction polymer solar cells compared with the values obtained from the pure high-RR P3HT and the pure low-RR P3HT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yujeong Lee
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei University , 50 Yonsei-Ro, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul, Korea 120-749
| | - Jin Young Oh
- Research Institute of Iron and Steel Technology, Yonsei University , Seoul 120-749, Korea
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
28
|
Katsouras A, Gasparini N, Koulogiannis C, Spanos M, Ameri T, Brabec CJ, Chochos CL, Avgeropoulos A. Systematic Analysis of Polymer Molecular Weight Influence on the Organic Photovoltaic Performance. Macromol Rapid Commun 2015; 36:1778-97. [DOI: 10.1002/marc.201500398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2015] [Revised: 08/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Athanasios Katsouras
- Department of Materials Science Engineering; University of Ioannina; Ioannina 45110 Greece
| | - Nicola Gasparini
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (I-MEET); Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg; Martensstraße 7 91058 Erlangen Germany
| | | | - Michael Spanos
- Department of Materials Science Engineering; University of Ioannina; Ioannina 45110 Greece
| | - Tayebeh Ameri
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (I-MEET); Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg; Martensstraße 7 91058 Erlangen Germany
| | - Christoph J. Brabec
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (I-MEET); Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg; Martensstraße 7 91058 Erlangen Germany
- Bavarian Center for Applied Energy Research (ZAE Bayern); Haberstrasse 2a 91058 Erlangen Germany
| | - Christos L. Chochos
- Department of Materials Science Engineering; University of Ioannina; Ioannina 45110 Greece
| | - Apostolos Avgeropoulos
- Department of Materials Science Engineering; University of Ioannina; Ioannina 45110 Greece
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
To CH, Ng A, Dong Q, Djurišić AB, Zapien JA, Chan WK, Surya C. Effect of PTB7 Properties on the Performance of PTB7:PC₇₁BM Solar Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2015; 7:13198-13207. [PMID: 26039900 DOI: 10.1021/am5085034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The effect of poly[[4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene-2,6-diyl][3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexy)carbonyl]thieno[3,4-b]thiophenediyl]] (PTB7) properties on the optical properties, charge transport and photovoltaic performance of PTB7:[6,6]-phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) blend films is investigated. We found that the variations in the molecular weight (Mw) and polydispersity index (PDI) of PTB7 mainly affect the phase separation and charge transport (hole mobility) in the blend films. The optical properties are also affected, but the increase in the extinction coefficient does not necessarily imply increased power conversion efficiency. The obtained power conversion efficiency for optimized thickness varied from 4.8% to 7.8% depending on the properties of PTB7. The wide range of obtained power conversion efficiencies illustrates the importance of optimizing the Mw and PDI to optimize bulk heterojunction morphology and achieve high performance solar cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chap Hang To
- †Department of Physics, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong
| | - Annie Ng
- ‡Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Qi Dong
- †Department of Physics, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong
| | - Aleksandra B Djurišić
- †Department of Physics, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong
| | - Juan Antonio Zapien
- §Center of Super Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF) and Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
| | - Wai Kin Chan
- ⊥Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong
| | - Charles Surya
- ‡Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Karpov Y, Zhao W, Raguzin I, Beryozkina T, Bakulev V, Al-Hussein M, Häußler L, Stamm M, Voit B, Facchetti A, Tkachov R, Kiriy A. Influence of Semiconductor Thickness and Molecular Weight on the Charge Transport of a Naphthalenediimide-Based Copolymer in Thin-Film Transistors. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2015; 7:12478-12487. [PMID: 25781339 DOI: 10.1021/am507759u] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The N-type semiconducting polymer, P(NDI2OD-T2), with different molecular weights (MW=23, 72, and 250 kg/mol) was used for the fabrication of field-effect transistors (FETs) with different semiconductor layer thicknesses. FETs with semiconductor layer thicknesses from ∼15 to 50 nm exhibit similar electron mobilities (μ's) of 0.2-0.45 cm2 V(-1) s(-1). Reduction of the active film thickness led to decreased μ values; however, FETs with ∼2 and ∼5 nm thick P(NDI2OD-T2) films still exhibit substantial μ's of 0.01-0.02 and ∼10(-4) cm2 V(-1) s(-1), respectively. Interestingly, the lowest molecular weight sample (P-23, MW≈23 kg/mol, polydispersity index (PDI)=1.9) exhibited higher μ than the highest molecular weight sample (P-250, MW≈250 kg/mol, PDI=2.3) measured for thicker devices (15-50 nm). This is rather unusual behavior because typically charge carrier mobility increases with MW where improved grain-to-grain connectivity usually enhances transport events. We attribute this result to the high crystallinity of the lowest MW sample, as confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction studies, which may (over)compensate for other effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yevhen Karpov
- †Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Hohe Straße 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Wei Zhao
- ‡Polyera Corporation, Skokie, Illinois 60077, United States
| | - Ivan Raguzin
- †Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Hohe Straße 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Vasiliy Bakulev
- §Ural Federal University, Mira Street 28, 620002, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | | | - Liane Häußler
- †Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Hohe Straße 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Manfred Stamm
- †Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Hohe Straße 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany
- ∥Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden (CFAED), Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Brigitte Voit
- †Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Hohe Straße 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany
- ∥Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden (CFAED), Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Antonio Facchetti
- ‡Polyera Corporation, Skokie, Illinois 60077, United States
- #Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials Research (CEAMR), King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 21589
| | - Roman Tkachov
- †Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Hohe Straße 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Anton Kiriy
- †Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Hohe Straße 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Zhang J, Zhang Y, Fang J, Lu K, Wang Z, Ma W, Wei Z. Conjugated Polymer-Small Molecule Alloy Leads to High Efficient Ternary Organic Solar Cells. J Am Chem Soc 2015; 137:8176-83. [PMID: 26052738 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5b03449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 200] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Ternary organic solar cells are promising candidates for bulk heterojunction solar cells; however, improving the power conversion efficiency (PCE) is quite challenging because the ternary system is complicated on phase separation behavior. In this study, a ternary organic solar cell (OSC) with two donors, including one polymer (PTB7-Th), one small molecule (p-DTS(FBTTH2)2), and one acceptor (PC71BM), is fabricated. We propose the two donors in the ternary blend forms an alloy. A notable averaged PCE of 10.5% for ternary OSC is obtained due to the improvement of the fill factor (FF) and the short-circuit current density (J(sc)), and the open-circuit voltage (V(oc)) does not pin to the smaller V(oc) of the corresponding binary blends. A highly ordered face-on orientation of polymer molecules is obtained due to the formation of an alloy structure, which facilitates the enhancement of charge separation and transport and the reduction of charge recombination. This work indicates that a high crystallinity and the face-on orientation of polymers could be obtained by forming alloy with two miscible donors, thus paving a way to largely enhance the PCE of OSCs by using the ternary blend strategy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jianqi Zhang
- †Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
| | - Yajie Zhang
- †Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
| | - Jin Fang
- †Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
| | - Kun Lu
- †Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
| | - Zaiyu Wang
- ‡State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Wei Ma
- ‡State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Zhixiang Wei
- †Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Zhang Y, Wei Z. Enhancing the performance of polymer solar cells using CuPc nanocrystals as additives. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2015; 26:204001. [PMID: 25912794 DOI: 10.1088/0957-4484/26/20/204001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
There is an increasing interest in the use of different nanoparticles as additives in polymer solar cells for enhancing the light absorption of active layers as well as their power conversion efficiency (PCE). In this paper, we report a PCE enhancement by simply adding copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) nanocrystals into photovoltaic devices based on a poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT): fullerene system. Two kinds of device structure were studied: the first one is a CuPc nanocrystal suspension spin coated on the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate-coated substrate; the second one is the CuPc nanocrystal suspension added into the active layer solutions. It is proved that incorporating organic semiconductor nanocrystals into the active layer can help trap light and enhance the crystallinity of the active layers, thus improving the device performance. This strategy might be generally compatible with a broad range of organic photovoltaic materials and offers an effective approach to enhance the device performance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yajie Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
| | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Zhang Y, Deng D, Lu K, Zhang J, Xia B, Zhao Y, Fang J, Wei Z. Synergistic effect of polymer and small molecules for high-performance ternary organic solar cells. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2015; 27:1071-6. [PMID: 25655181 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201404902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2014] [Revised: 11/11/2014] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
A ternary blend system with two donors and one acceptor provides an effective route to improve the performance of organic solar cells. A synergistic effect of polymer and small molecules is observed in ternary solar cells, and the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the ternary system (8.40%) is higher than those of binary systems based on small molecules (7.48%) or polymers (6.85%).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yajie Zhang
- National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
34
|
Zhao Y, Yuan L, Zhang J, Zhu L, Lu K, Yan W, Wei Z. Understanding effects of two different acceptors in one small molecule for solution processable organic solar cells. RSC Adv 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ra12462j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
By comparing two-acceptor type (A1–A2–D–A2–A1) with single-acceptor type organic photovoltaic small molecules, a deep understanding of two-acceptors was obtained, which could help potential strategies of molecular design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Zhao
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering
- Xi’an Jiaotong University
- Xi’an 710049
- China
- National Center for Nanoscience and Technology
| | - Liu Yuan
- National Center for Nanoscience and Technology
- Beijing 100190
- China
| | - Jianqi Zhang
- National Center for Nanoscience and Technology
- Beijing 100190
- China
| | - Lingyun Zhu
- National Center for Nanoscience and Technology
- Beijing 100190
- China
| | - Kun Lu
- National Center for Nanoscience and Technology
- Beijing 100190
- China
| | - Wei Yan
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering
- Xi’an Jiaotong University
- Xi’an 710049
- China
| | - Zhixiang Wei
- National Center for Nanoscience and Technology
- Beijing 100190
- China
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Liao X, Wu F, Zhang L, Chen L, Chen Y. Solution-processed small molecules based on benzodithiophene and difluorobenzothiadiazole for inverted organic solar cells. Polym Chem 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c5py01051a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Fluorinated BDT(TffBTTT6)2 and nonfluorinated BDT(TBTTT6)2 are designed and synthesized to extensively investigate the effect of fluorination in small molecules.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xunfan Liao
- College of Chemistry/Institute of Polymers
- Nanchang University
- Nanchang 330031
- China
| | - Feiyan Wu
- College of Chemistry/Institute of Polymers
- Nanchang University
- Nanchang 330031
- China
| | - Lifu Zhang
- College of Chemistry/Institute of Polymers
- Nanchang University
- Nanchang 330031
- China
| | - Lie Chen
- College of Chemistry/Institute of Polymers
- Nanchang University
- Nanchang 330031
- China
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of New Energy Chemistry
| | - Yiwang Chen
- College of Chemistry/Institute of Polymers
- Nanchang University
- Nanchang 330031
- China
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of New Energy Chemistry
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Min X, Jiang F, Qin F, Li Z, Tong J, Xiong S, Meng W, Zhou Y. Polyethylenimine aqueous solution: a low-cost and environmentally friendly formulation to produce low-work-function electrodes for efficient easy-to-fabricate organic solar cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2014; 6:22628-22633. [PMID: 25479413 DOI: 10.1021/am5077974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Polyethylenimine (PEI) has been widely used to produce low-work-function electrodes. Generally, PEI modification is prepared by spin coating from 2-methoxyethanol solution. In this work, we explore the method for PEI modification on indium tin oxide (ITO) by dipping the ITO sample into PEI aqueous solution for organic solar cells. The PEI prepared in this method could reduce the work function of ITO as effectively as PEI prepared by spin coating from 2-methoxyethanol solution. H2O as the processing solvent is more environmentally friendly and much cheaper compared to the 2-methoxyethanol solvent. The dipping method is also compatible with large-area samples. With low-work-function ITO treated by the dipping method, solar cells with a simple structure of glass/ITO/PEI(dipping)/P3HT:ICBA/PEDOT:PSS(vacuum-free processing) display a high open-circuit voltage of 0.86 ± 0.01, a high fill factor of 66 ± 2%, and power conversion efficiency of 4.4 ± 0.3% under 100 mW/cm(2) illumination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xue Min
- Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan 430074, China
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Liu F, Chen D, Wang C, Luo K, Gu W, Briseno AL, Hsu JWP, Russell TP. Molecular weight dependence of the morphology in P3HT:PCBM solar cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2014; 6:19876-87. [PMID: 25350382 DOI: 10.1021/am505283k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
In polymer-based photovoltaic devices, optimizing and controlling the active layer morphology is important to enhancing the device efficiency. Using poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) with well-defined molecular weights (MWs), synthesized by the Grignard metathesis (GRIM) method, we show that the morphology of the photovoltaic active layer and the absorption and crystal structure of P3HT are dependent on the MW. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that the crystallinity of P3HT reached a maximum for intermediate MWs. Grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray diffraction showed that the spacing of the (100) planes of P3HT increased with increasing MW, while the crystal size decreased. Nonlinear crystal lattice expansions were found for both the (100) and (020) lattice planes, with an unusual π-π-stacking enhancement observed between 50 and 100 °C. The melting point depression for P3HT, when mixed with [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), and, hence, the Flory-Huggins interaction parameter depended on the MW. PCBM was found to perturb the ordering of P3HT chains. In photovoltaic devices, P3HT with a MW of ∼20K showed the best device performance. The morphologies of these blends were studied by grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) and resonant soft X-ray scattering. In GISAXS, we observed that the low-molecular-weight P3HT more readily crystallizes, promoting a phase-separated morphology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Feng Liu
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts , Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Usluer Ö, Abbas M, Wantz G, Vignau L, Hirsch L, Grana E, Brochon C, Cloutet E, Hadziioannou G. Metal Residues in Semiconducting Polymers: Impact on the Performance of Organic Electronic Devices. ACS Macro Lett 2014; 3:1134-1138. [PMID: 35610811 DOI: 10.1021/mz500590d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The effect of impurities on the optoelectronic and charge transport properties of semiconducting polymers was investigated through the performance of organic photovoltaics (OPVs) and organic field effect transistors (OFETs), respectively. A model representative semiconducting polymer, i.e., poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), was synthesized and purified using different methods such as precipitation, metals' complexation, and Soxhlet extraction. After the purification processes, each fraction was analyzed to determine its composition in metals (impurities) by various techniques. OFETs and OPVs fabricated from these purified polymer fractions were found to show different charge carrier properties and photovoltaic behaviors. The purest fraction which was obtained after Soxhlet extraction complemented by metals' complexation with the help of ethylenediamine and 15-crown-5 ether showed the best performance in both OPVs and OFETs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Özlem Usluer
- Laboratoire de Chimie
des Polymères Organiques (LCPO), CNRS
(UMR5629), ENSCPB, and ‡Laboratoire de l’Intégration du Matériau au
Système (IMS), CNRS (UMR5218), Site ENSCPB, Université de Bordeaux, 16 avenue Pey Berland, 33607 Pessac Cedex, France
| | - Mamatimin Abbas
- Laboratoire de Chimie
des Polymères Organiques (LCPO), CNRS
(UMR5629), ENSCPB, and ‡Laboratoire de l’Intégration du Matériau au
Système (IMS), CNRS (UMR5218), Site ENSCPB, Université de Bordeaux, 16 avenue Pey Berland, 33607 Pessac Cedex, France
| | - Guillaume Wantz
- Laboratoire de Chimie
des Polymères Organiques (LCPO), CNRS
(UMR5629), ENSCPB, and ‡Laboratoire de l’Intégration du Matériau au
Système (IMS), CNRS (UMR5218), Site ENSCPB, Université de Bordeaux, 16 avenue Pey Berland, 33607 Pessac Cedex, France
| | - Laurence Vignau
- Laboratoire de Chimie
des Polymères Organiques (LCPO), CNRS
(UMR5629), ENSCPB, and ‡Laboratoire de l’Intégration du Matériau au
Système (IMS), CNRS (UMR5218), Site ENSCPB, Université de Bordeaux, 16 avenue Pey Berland, 33607 Pessac Cedex, France
| | - Lionel Hirsch
- Laboratoire de Chimie
des Polymères Organiques (LCPO), CNRS
(UMR5629), ENSCPB, and ‡Laboratoire de l’Intégration du Matériau au
Système (IMS), CNRS (UMR5218), Site ENSCPB, Université de Bordeaux, 16 avenue Pey Berland, 33607 Pessac Cedex, France
| | - Eftychia Grana
- Laboratoire de Chimie
des Polymères Organiques (LCPO), CNRS
(UMR5629), ENSCPB, and ‡Laboratoire de l’Intégration du Matériau au
Système (IMS), CNRS (UMR5218), Site ENSCPB, Université de Bordeaux, 16 avenue Pey Berland, 33607 Pessac Cedex, France
| | - Cyril Brochon
- Laboratoire de Chimie
des Polymères Organiques (LCPO), CNRS
(UMR5629), ENSCPB, and ‡Laboratoire de l’Intégration du Matériau au
Système (IMS), CNRS (UMR5218), Site ENSCPB, Université de Bordeaux, 16 avenue Pey Berland, 33607 Pessac Cedex, France
| | - Eric Cloutet
- Laboratoire de Chimie
des Polymères Organiques (LCPO), CNRS
(UMR5629), ENSCPB, and ‡Laboratoire de l’Intégration du Matériau au
Système (IMS), CNRS (UMR5218), Site ENSCPB, Université de Bordeaux, 16 avenue Pey Berland, 33607 Pessac Cedex, France
| | - Georges Hadziioannou
- Laboratoire de Chimie
des Polymères Organiques (LCPO), CNRS
(UMR5629), ENSCPB, and ‡Laboratoire de l’Intégration du Matériau au
Système (IMS), CNRS (UMR5218), Site ENSCPB, Université de Bordeaux, 16 avenue Pey Berland, 33607 Pessac Cedex, France
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Pace G, Grimoldi A, Natali D, Sampietro M, Coughlin JE, Bazan GC, Caironi M. All-organic and fully-printed semitransparent photodetectors based on narrow bandgap conjugated molecules. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2014; 26:6773-6777. [PMID: 25182186 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201402918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2014] [Revised: 07/28/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
All-organic, fully-printed and semitransparent photodetectors with a broad wavelength band response, based on a ternary blend comprising narrow band-gap small molecules, are demonstrated. The ternary blend with a semiconducting polymer allows for the optimal printing of small molecules, suppressing strong phase segregation, and uncontrolled crystallization. The insertion of a suitable interlayer enables the adoption of polymer, transparent, top and bottom printed electrodes, thus making light detection possible from both device sides.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppina Pace
- Center for Nano Science and Technology@PoliMi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Pascoli 70/3, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Himmelberger S, Vandewal K, Fei Z, Heeney M, Salleo A. Role of Molecular Weight Distribution on Charge Transport in Semiconducting Polymers. Macromolecules 2014. [DOI: 10.1021/ma501508j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Scott Himmelberger
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Koen Vandewal
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Zhuping Fei
- Department
of Chemistry and Centre for Plastic Electronics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - Martin Heeney
- Department
of Chemistry and Centre for Plastic Electronics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - Alberto Salleo
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Ryu TI, Yoon Y, Kim JH, Hwang DH, Ko MJ, Lee DK, Kim JY, Kim H, Park NG, Kim B, Son HJ. Simultaneous Enhancement of Solar Cell Efficiency and Photostability via Chemical Tuning of Electron Donating Units in Diketopyrrolopyrrole-Based Push–Pull Type Polymers. Macromolecules 2014. [DOI: 10.1021/ma501300a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Youngwoon Yoon
- Photoelectronic
Hybrid Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 136-791, Korea
| | - Ji-Hoon Kim
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemistry Institute for Functional Materials, Pusan National University, Busan 609-735, Korea
| | - Do-Hoon Hwang
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemistry Institute for Functional Materials, Pusan National University, Busan 609-735, Korea
| | - Min Jae Ko
- Photoelectronic
Hybrid Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 136-791, Korea
| | - Doh-Kwon Lee
- Photoelectronic
Hybrid Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 136-791, Korea
| | - Jin Young Kim
- Photoelectronic
Hybrid Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 136-791, Korea
| | - Honggon Kim
- Photoelectronic
Hybrid Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 136-791, Korea
| | | | - BongSoo Kim
- Photoelectronic
Hybrid Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 136-791, Korea
| | - Hae Jung Son
- Photoelectronic
Hybrid Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 136-791, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Rujisamphan N, Murray RE, Deng F, Ni C, Shah SI. Study of the nanoscale morphology of polythiophene fibrils and a fullerene derivative. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2014; 6:11965-11972. [PMID: 25055217 DOI: 10.1021/am502577s] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Nanoscale blending of electron-donor and electron-acceptor materials in solution-processed bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaic devices is crucial for achieving high power conversion efficiency. We used a classic blend of poly(3-hexylthiophene)/phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT/PCBM) as a model to observe the nanoscale morphology of the P3HT fibrils and PCBM nanoclusters in the mixture. Energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM) clearly revealed a nanoscopic phase separation. Randomly connected and/or nonconnected P3HT fibrous networks and PCBM domains, revealed by 2-dimensional micrographs, were observed by collecting electron energy loss spectra in the range of 19-30 eV. From EFTEM images, the average length and the diameter of P3HT fibrils were found to be approximately 70 ± 5 and 15 ± 2 nm, respectively. Combining the EFTEM, selected area electron diffraction, and X-ray diffraction results, the number and spacing of the ordered chains in P3HT fibrils were determined. There were 18 ± 3 repeating units of P3HT perpendicular to the fibril, ∼184 layers of π-π stacking along the fibril, and ∼9 layers of interchain stacking within the fibril. These conclusive observations provide insight into the number of molecules found in one instance of ordered-plane stacking. This information is useful for the calculation of charge transport in semicrystalline polymers. Using cross-section samples prepared with a focused ion beam technique, the vertical morphology of each phase was analyzed. By collecting 30 eV energy loss images, the phase separation in the P3HT/PCBM system was distinguishable. A higher P3HT concentration was observed at the top of the cell, near Al contact, which could possibly cause loss of carriers and recombination due to a mismatch in the P3HT and Al energy bands.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nopporn Rujisamphan
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering and ‡Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware , Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Li W, Yang L, Tumbleston JR, Yan L, Ade H, You W. Controlling molecular weight of a high efficiency donor-acceptor conjugated polymer and understanding its significant impact on photovoltaic properties. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2014; 26:4456-62. [PMID: 24634368 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201305251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2013] [Revised: 01/20/2014] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The molecular weight (MW) of PBnDT-FTAZ can be precisely controlled by adjusting the stoichiometric ratio of the two monomers, following the Carothers equation. The study of a set of PBnDT-FTAZ polymers with different MWs reveals that the MW significantly influences the morphology and structural order of PBnDTFTAZ in its bulk heterojunction solar cells, with the highest efficiency (over 7%) achieved with the use of a MW of 40 000 g mol(-1) .
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wentao Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3290, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Ma W, Tumbleston JR, Ye L, Wang C, Hou J, Ade H. Quantification of nano- and mesoscale phase separation and relation to donor and acceptor quantum efficiency, J(sc), and FF in polymer:fullerene solar cells. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2014; 26:4234-41. [PMID: 24677439 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201400216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2014] [Revised: 02/09/2014] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Ma
- Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
Molecular weight dependent vertical composition profiles of PCDTBT:PC₇₁BM blends for organic photovoltaics. Sci Rep 2014; 4:5286. [PMID: 24924096 PMCID: PMC4055896 DOI: 10.1038/srep05286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2014] [Accepted: 05/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We have used Soxhlet solvent purification to fractionate a broad molecular weight distribution of the polycarbazole polymer PCDTBT into three lower polydispersity molecular weight fractions. Organic photovoltaic devices were made using a blend of the fullerene acceptor PC71BM with the molecular weight fractions. An average power conversion efficiency of 5.89% (peak efficiency of 6.15%) was measured for PCDTBT blend devices with a number average molecular weight of Mn = 25.5 kDa. There was significant variation between the molecular weight fractions with low (Mn = 15.0 kDa) and high (Mn = 34.9 kDa) fractions producing devices with average efficiencies of 5.02% and 3.70% respectively. Neutron reflectivity measurements on these polymer:PC71BM blend layers showed that larger molecular weights leads to an increase in the polymer enrichment layer thickness at the anode interface, this improves efficiency up to a limiting point where the polymer solubility causes a reduction of the PCDTBT concentration in the active layer.
Collapse
|
46
|
Effects of substituents and molecular weight on the optical, thermal and photovoltaic properties of alternating dithienogermole–dithienylbenzothiadiazole polymers. Polym J 2014. [DOI: 10.1038/pj.2014.35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
|
47
|
Wie JJ, Nguyen NA, Cwalina CD, Liu J, Martin DC, Mackay ME. Shear-Induced Solution Crystallization of Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). Macromolecules 2014. [DOI: 10.1021/ma500040k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeong Jae Wie
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Ngoc A. Nguyen
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Colin D. Cwalina
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Jinglin Liu
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - David C. Martin
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Michael E. Mackay
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Im MJ, Moon BJ, Lee GY, Son SY, Park T. Positioning lithium ions by host-guest chemistry combined with self-assembly using a thiophene-based all-conjugated amphiphilic block copolymer. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1002/pola.27101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Min Jeong Im
- Department of Chemical Engineering; Pohang University of Science and Technology; San31, Nam-gu Pohang Gyeongbuk 790-784 Korea
| | - Byung Joon Moon
- Department of Chemical Engineering; Pohang University of Science and Technology; San31, Nam-gu Pohang Gyeongbuk 790-784 Korea
| | - Gang-Young Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering; Pohang University of Science and Technology; San31, Nam-gu Pohang Gyeongbuk 790-784 Korea
| | - Sung Yun Son
- Department of Chemical Engineering; Pohang University of Science and Technology; San31, Nam-gu Pohang Gyeongbuk 790-784 Korea
| | - Taiho Park
- Department of Chemical Engineering; Pohang University of Science and Technology; San31, Nam-gu Pohang Gyeongbuk 790-784 Korea
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Bruner C, Dauskardt R. Role of Molecular Weight on the Mechanical Device Properties of Organic Polymer Solar Cells. Macromolecules 2014. [DOI: 10.1021/ma402215j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Bruner
- Department of Materials Science
and Engineering, Stanford University, 496 Lomita Mall, Durand Building, Stanford, California 94305-2205, United States
| | - Reinhold Dauskardt
- Department of Materials Science
and Engineering, Stanford University, 496 Lomita Mall, Durand Building, Stanford, California 94305-2205, United States
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Rudenko AE, Latif AA, Thompson BC. Influence of β-linkages on the morphology and performance of DArP P3HT-PC61BM solar cells. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2014; 25:014005. [PMID: 24334441 DOI: 10.1088/0957-4484/25/1/014005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Direct arylation polymerization (DArP) has emerged as a greener and more atom-efficient alternative to Stille polymerization. Despite the attractiveness of this method, DArP is known to produce β-linkages in polymers, which have β-protons available for activation. Here, we report the influence of the β-defect content in DArP poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) on the performance of bulk-heterojunction solar cells and the morphology of pristine polymers and their blends with PC61BM in thin films and compare with Stille P3HT containing 0% β-defects as a reference point. The optical and electrochemical properties as well as the hole mobilities of pristine polymers remain virtually the same when the amount of β-defects is limited to 0.75% or lower, as evidenced by UV-visible absorption spectra, cyclic voltammetry and space-charge-limited current (SCLC) mobility measurements. However, an increase of β-defect concentration to 1.41% significantly affects the oxidation onset, UV-visible absorption profile and hole mobility of P3HT. The key result of this study is that the photovoltaic performance of DArP P3HT with 0% β-defects is remarkably close to that of Stille P3HT, whereas the performance of DArP P3HT with 0-0.75% β-defects does not differ dramatically from that of Stille P3HT and could potentially be improved upon by individual optimization of the processing conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrey E Rudenko
- Department of Chemistry, Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute, and Center for Energy Nanoscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-1661, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|