Development of Spiro[cyclopenta[1,2-b:5,4-b']dithiophene-4,9'-fluorene]-Based A-π-D-π-A Small Molecules with Different Acceptor Units for Efficient Organic Solar Cells

Effect of Benzothiadiazole-Based π-Spacers on Fine-Tuning of Optoelectronic Properties of Oligothiophene-Core Donor Materials for Efficient Organic Solar Cells: A DFT Study

In this work, five novel A-π-D-π-A type molecules D1-D5 were designed by adding unusual benzothiadiazole derivatives as π-spacer blocks to the efficient reference molecule DRCN5T for application as donor materials in organic solar cells (OSCs). Based on a density functional theory approach, a comprehensive theoretical study was performed with different functionals (B3LYP, B3LYP-GD3, B3LYP-GD3BJ, CAM-B3LYP, M06, M062X, and wB97XD) and with different solvent types (PCM and SMD) at the extended basis set 6-311+g(d,p) to evaluate the structural, optoelectronic, and intramolecular charge transfer properties of these molecules. The B3LYP-GD3BJ hybrid functional was used to optimize the studied molecules in CHCl3 solution with the SMD model solvent as it provided the best results compared to experimental data. Transition density matrix maps were simulated to examine the hole-electron localization and the electronic excitation processes in the excited state, and photovoltaic parameters including open-circuit photovoltage and fill factor were investigated to predict the efficiency of these materials. All the designed materials showed promising optoelectronic and photovoltaic characteristics, and for most of them, a red shift. Out of the proposed molecules, [1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4-d]pyridazine was selected as a promising π-spacer block to evaluate its interaction with PC61BM in a composite to understand the charge transfer between the donor and acceptor subparts. Overall, this study showed that adding π-spacer building blocks to the molecular structure is undoubtedly a potential strategy to further enhance the performance of donor materials for OSC applications.

Rational design of non-fullerene acceptors via side-chain and terminal group engineering: a computational study

We investigated the optoelectronic and photovoltaic properties of three types of acceptor-donor-acceptor-based non-fullerene acceptor (NFA) molecules for organic solar cell (OSC) applications. Density functional theory and its time-dependent variant were employed to compute the quadrupole moment perpendicular to the π-system (Q₂₀), open circuit voltage (V_OC), and other relevant solar cell parameters. The role of functionalization in the acceptor unit on the overall device performance was explored by incorporating halogen and methoxy-based electron-withdrawing groups. The electronegativity differences between the halogen atoms and the methoxy group demonstrated contrasting effects on the energy levels, molecular orbitals, and absorption maximum. We observed a trade-off between short-circuit current (J_SC) and V_OC, which was further substantiated by an inverse correlation between Q₂₀ and V_OC. We found an optimum value of Q₂₀ in the range of 80 to 130 ea₀² to achieve an optimized solar cell performance. Among the designed systems, Se-derived NFAs with a small band gap, red-shifted absorption maximum, high-oscillator strength, small exciton binding energy, and optimum Q₂₀ turned out to be potential candidates for future applications. These criteria can be generalized to design and screen next-generation non-fullerene acceptors to achieve improved OSC performance.

Theoretical Study of Non-Fullerene Acceptors Using End-Capped Groups with Different Electron-Withdrawing Abilities toward Efficient Organic Solar Cells

Acceptors in organic solar cells (OSCs) are of paramount importance. On the basis of the well-known non-fullerene acceptor Y6, six acceptors (Y6-COH, Y6-COOH, Y6-CN, Y6-SO₂H, Y6-CF₃, and Y6-NO₂) were designed by end-capped manipulation. The effects of end-capped engineering on electronic properties, optical properties, and interfacial charge-transfer states were systematically studied by density functional theory, time-dependent density functional theory, and molecular dynamics. The designed acceptors possess suitable energy levels and improved optical properties. More importantly, the electron mobility of the new acceptors was greatly enhanced, even more than 20 times that of the parent molecule. Among them, Y6-NO₂ with the lowest-lying frontier molecular orbitals and the largest red-shifted absorption was selected to construct interfaces with the donor PM6. PM6/Y6-NO₂ exhibits stronger interfacial interactions and enhanced charge-transfer characteristics compared with PM6/Y6. This work not only enhances the understanding of the structure-property relationship for acceptors but also offers a set of promising acceptors for high-performance OSCs.

Examination of aggregation-induced enhanced emission in a propeller-shaped chiral nonconjugated blue emitter from restricted intramolecular rotation and J-type ππ stacking interactions

Herein, to get rid of aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) in the solid phase, which is generally observed in π-conjugated planar molecules, a new chiral nonconjugated molecule with the propeller-shaped blue emitter property was prepared and characterized, and its photoluminescence behavior in the solid and solution phases were investigated through single crystal X-ray crystallography and photophysical studies. To further understand the aggregation-induced enhanced emission process (AIEE), concentration effect and solvent effect on the fluorescence properties of the solution phase and fluorescence quantum yield measurements in the solid and solution states were performed. In addition, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), cyclic voltammogram measurements (CV) and theoretical analysis of the molecule were carried out. According to the results of the experimental work done, the molecule showed aggregation-induced enhanced blue emission (AIEE) in the crystal state, which arose from the strong J-type ππ stacking interactions between the adjacent rings of the molecules, and the restricted intramolecular rotation process (RIR). The solvent polarity-dependent emission also verified the AIEE process. Therefore, combining the advantages of nonconjugation and chirality properties in the synthesis of the molecule afforded a new, unusual AIEE material and provided a new way for the design of a nonconjugated chiral fluorescent optoelectronic material.

End-capped group manipulation of non-fullerene acceptors for efficient organic photovoltaic solar cells: a DFT study

A series of acceptors, S1-S5, has been designed based on the acceptor-π-donor-π-acceptor (A-π-D-π-A) architecture by incorporating a phenothiazine unit as the central donor unit. Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) methods have been employed to study the effect of various end-capped groups on the geometric, electronic, optical and charge transport properties of the designed acceptor molecules. The results reveal that on increasing the electron-withdrawing nature of the end-capped groups, the performance of the acceptor molecules increases. It is also observed that on increasing the flexibility of the end-capped groups, the planarity of the molecules gets destroyed and, as a result, the performance of the acceptor molecules decreases. The investigated molecules exhibit high electron affinity (EA) and low reorganization energy for electrons (λ-), indicating the electron acceptor nature of the designed molecules. The absorption properties of the molecules manifest that compounds S2-S4 possess high values of the maximum wavelength (λmax) of absorption. We have also studied the properties of a D/A active layer by considering PffBT4T-2OD as the electron donor and arranging PffBT4T-2OD/S1-S5 molecules in a face to face manner. Properties of the D/A blend indicate that molecules S2-S4 have capacity to promote charge carrier separation at the D/A active layer. Our results provide guidelines for further designing of acceptors to enhance the performance of organic solar cells (OSCs).

Photoisomerization of dicyanorhodanine-functionalized thiophenes

π-Conjugated oligomers functionalized with the popular dicyanorhodanine (RCN) electron acceptor are shown to be susceptible to photo-induced Z/E isomerization. The stereochemistry of two model RCN-functionalized thiophenes is confirmed by single crystal X-ray analysis and 2D NMR, and shown to be the thermodynamically stable Z form. Relative energies, Z/E configurations, and conformational preferences are modelled using density functional theory (DFT). The photophysical properties of the model compounds are explored experimentally and computationally; the Z and E isomers display similar absorption profiles with significant spectral overlap and are inseparable upon irradiation to a photostationary state. The well-behaved photoisomerization process is routinely observable by thin-layer chromatography, UV-vis, and NMR, and the photochemical behavior of the two RCN-functionalized thiophenes is characterized under varying wavelengths of irradiation. Ultraviolet (254 nm) irradiation results in photostationary state compositions of 56/44 and 69/31 Z-isomer/E-isomer for substrates functionalized with one thiophene and two thiophenes, respectively. Ambient laboratory lighting results in excess of 10 percent E-isomer for each species in solution, an important consideration for processing such materials, particularly for organic photovoltaic applications. In addition, a photoswitching experiment is conducted to demonstrate the reversible nature of the photoreaction, where little evidence of fatigue is observed over numerous switching cycles. Overall, this work showcases an approach to characterize the stereochemistry and photochemical behavior of dicyanorhodanine-functionalized thiophenes, widely used components of functional molecules and materials.

Nonhalogenated-Solvent-Processed Efficient Polymer Solar Cells Enabled by Medium-Band-Gap A-π-D-π-A Small-Molecule Acceptors Based on a 6,12-Dihydro-diindolo[1,2-b:10,20-e]pyrazine Unit

In this contribution, a series of A-π-D-π-A small molecules (SMs), IPY-T-IC, IPY-T-ICCl, and IPY-T-ICF, containing the central donor unit (D) of 6,12-dihydro-diindolo[1,2-b:10,20-e]pyrazine (IPY), the π-conjugated bridge of thiophene, and the end-accepting group (A) of 3-(dic yanomethylidene)indol-1-one, 5,6-dichloro-3-(dicyanomethylidene)indol-1-one, or 5,6-difluoro-3-(dicyanomethylene)indol-1-one, were developed, characterized, and employed as the acceptor materials for polymer solar cells (PSCs). Influences of the different end-accepting groups on thermal properties, spectral absorption, energy levels, photovoltaic performance, and film morphology of these small-molecule acceptors (SMAs) were investigated in detail. These SMAs exhibit an excellent thermal stability and strong crystallization. The absorption spectra of these SMs mainly locate the wavelength between 400 and 700 nm, associated with the optical band gaps in the range of 1.75-1.90 eV. Compared with nonhalogenated IPY-T-IC, the halogenated SMAs IPY-T-ICCl and IPY-T-ICF present better absorption abilities, wider absorption region, and downshifted highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)/lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) levels. With regard to the complementary spectral absorption and matched HOMO/LUMO levels, PTB7-Th as a low-band gap polymer was chosen to be an electron donor to pair with these SMAs for fabricating bulk-heterojuntion PSCs. Under optimized conditions, among these SMAs, the PTB7-Th:IPY-T-IC-based PSC processed from a halogenated solvent system (chlorobenzene + 1-chloronaphthalene) delivers the best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 7.32%, mainly because of more complementary spectral absorption, upper-lying LUMO level, higher and balanced carrier mobility, more efficiently suppressed trap-assisted recombination, better charge collection property, and blend morphology. Encouragingly, an improved PCE of up to 7.68% is achieved when the IPY-T-IC-based solar cell was processed from a nonhalogenated solvent system (o-xylene + 2-methylnaphthalene). In view of the large band gap of these IPY-based SMAs, the PCE of over 7.5% is notable and attractive for the related community. Our study argues that the IPY moiety is a potential electron-donating building moiety to develop medium-band-gap high-performance A-π-D-π-A SMAs for nonhalogenated-solvent-processed photovoltaic devices.

High-Crystallinity π-Conjugated Small Molecules Based on Thienylene-Vinylene-Thienylene: Critical Role of Self-Organization in Photovoltaic, Charge-Transport, and Morphological Properties

Narrow-band-gap small molecules with π-extended backbones are promising donor materials for solution-processed bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) organic solar cells (OSCs). Herein, a series of acceptor-donor-acceptor (A-D-A) photovoltaic small molecules incorporating thienylene-vinylene-thienylene (TVT) as a central D unit and alkyl-substituted rhodanine or 2-(1,1-dicyanomethylene)rhodanine as terminal A units are designed and synthesized. Their physical properties including photoabsorption, electronic energy levels, hole mobility, and morphological characteristics are systematically investigated. Using solvent vapor annealing (SVA), the morphologies of the BHJ photoactive layers composed of these small-molecule donors and a [6,6]-phenyl-C₇₁-butyric acid methyl ester (PC₇₁BM) acceptor can be properly modulated. As a result of increased crystallinity of the donors and desired phase segregation between the donors and PC₇₁BM upon rapid SVA treatment, the photovoltaic performances of the resultant OSC devices undergo drastic enhancement. The results reported here indicate that high-efficiency small-molecule OSCs can be achieved through rational design of the TVT-based molecular framework and optimization of the nanoscale phase-segregated morphology via proper SVA treatment.

Asymmetric triphenylamine-phenothiazine based small molecules with varying terminal acceptors for solution processed bulk-heterojunction organic solar cells

Three compounds consisting of the electron-donating triphenylamine-phenothiazine conjugate backbone and each of the electron-withdrawing groups 3-ethylrhodanine, malononitrile and 1,3-indandione have been synthesized and used as donors in blends with [6,6]-phenyl-C70-butyric acid methyl ester (PC₇₁BM) for organic solar cell devices. After improvements of the active layer structure by a selected donor-to-acceptor weight ratio and a two-step solvent and thermal annealing, the organic solar cells showed power conversion efficiency (PCE) values in the range of 4.79-7.25%. The highest PCE was obtained for the bulk heterojunction device with the indandione compound, which can be attributed to its better absorption profile, higher crystallinity, more balanced electron and hole transport, higher charge collection efficiency and reduced recombination, in comparison with the photovoltaic cells from the other two compounds. DFT-calculated characteristics, absorption spectra and cyclic voltammetry of the compounds, along with X-ray diffraction patterns of the blend films, are used to validate the photovoltaic results.

Effect of π-bridge units on properties of A–π–D–π–A-type nonfullerene acceptors for organic solar cells

We theoretically designed efficient nonfullerene acceptors (P2 and P5) with lower LUMO energies and higher electron transport abilities for OSCs.