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Pollit AA, Garg G, Tahir MN, Nyayachavadi A, Xiang P, Landry E, Ebied A, Rondeau-Gagné S. Supramolecular complexation of C 60 with branched polyethylene. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:11073-11077. [PMID: 38529757 DOI: 10.1039/d4cp00651h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Fullerene C60 is a ubiquitous material for application in organic electronics and nanotechnology, due to its desirable optoelectronic properties including good molecular orbital alignment with electron-rich donor materials, as well as high and isotropic charge carrier mobility. However, C60 possesses two limitations that hinder its integration into large-scale devices: (1) poor solubility in common organic solvents leading to expensive device processing, and (2) poor optical absorbance in the visible portion of the spectrum. Covalent functionalization has long been the standard for introducing structural tunability into molecular design, but non-covalent interactions have emerged as an alternative strategy to tailor C60-based materials, offering a versatile and tuneable alternative to novel functional materials and applications. In this work, we report a straightforward non-covalent functionalization of C60 with a branched polyethylene (BPE), which occurs spontaneously in dilute chloroform solution under ambient conditions. A detailed characterization strategy, based on UV-vis spectroscopy and size-exclusion chromatography was performed to verify and investigate the structure of the C60+BPE complex. Among others, our work reveals that the supramolecular complex has an order of magnitude higher molecular weight than its C60 and BPE constituents and points towards oxidation as the driving force behind complexation. The C60+BPE complex also possesses significantly broadened optical absorbance compared to unfunctionalized C60, extending further into the visible portion of the spectrum. This non-covalent approach presents an inexpensive route to address the shortcomings of C60 for electronic applications, situating the C60+BPE complex as a promising candidate for further investigation in organic electronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam A Pollit
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Essex Centre of Research (CORe), Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada.
- PolyAnalytik Inc., 700 Collip Circle, Suite 202, London, Ontario, N6G 4X8, Canada
| | - Garima Garg
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Essex Centre of Research (CORe), Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada.
| | - M Nazir Tahir
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Essex Centre of Research (CORe), Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada.
| | - Audithya Nyayachavadi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Essex Centre of Research (CORe), Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada.
| | - Peng Xiang
- PolyAnalytik Inc., 700 Collip Circle, Suite 202, London, Ontario, N6G 4X8, Canada
| | - Eric Landry
- PolyAnalytik Inc., 700 Collip Circle, Suite 202, London, Ontario, N6G 4X8, Canada
| | - Amer Ebied
- PolyAnalytik Inc., 700 Collip Circle, Suite 202, London, Ontario, N6G 4X8, Canada
| | - Simon Rondeau-Gagné
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Essex Centre of Research (CORe), Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada.
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Zheng B, Huo L. Recent Advances of Furan and Its Derivatives Based Semiconductor Materials for Organic Photovoltaics. SMALL METHODS 2021; 5:e2100493. [PMID: 34928062 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202100493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The state-of-the-art bulk-heterojunction (BHJ)-type organic solar cells (OSCs) have exhibited power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of exceeding 18%. Thereinto, thiophene and its fused-ring derivatives play significant roles in facilitating the development of OSCs due to their excellent semiconducting natures. Furan as thiophene analogue, is a ubiquitous motif in naturally occurring organic compounds. Driven by the advantages of furan, such as less steric hindrance, good solubility, excellent stacking, strong rigidity and fluorescence, biomass derived fractions, more and more research groups focus on the furan-based materials for using in OSCs in the past decade. To systematically understand the developments of furan-based photovoltaic materials, the relationships between the molecular structures, optoelectronic properties, and photovoltaic performances for the furan-based semiconductor materials including single furan, benzofuran, benzodifuran (BDF) (containing thienobenzofuran (TBF)), naphthodifurans (NDF), and polycyclic furan are summarized. Finally, the empirical regularities and perspectives of the development of this kind of new organic semiconductor materials are extracted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Zheng
- School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, P. R. China
| | - Lijun Huo
- School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, P. R. China
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Xiao X, Yi N, Yao G, Lu J, Leng S, Liu F, Hu M, Yuan Z, Zhou W. Preaggregation Matching of Donors and Acceptors in Solution Accounting for Thermally Stable Non-Fullerene Solar Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:58082-58093. [PMID: 33332082 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c17049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The mechanism of how the solvent type influences photovoltaic performance and thermal stability of non-fullerene organic solar cells remains unexplored. In this article, the well-known PTB7-Th was selected as a donor, while F8IC was used as an acceptor. The PTB7-Th:F8IC processed from chloroform (CF) exhibited a superiorly higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.5%, in contrast to the specimen processed from chlorobenzene (CB) of 6.8%. In addition, upon thermal annealing at 160 °C for 120 min, the device processed from CF was more stable than that processed from CB. The incorporation of perylene diimide derivative TBDPDI-C11, serving as the third additive, could also obviously improve the PCE value and thermal stability of PTB7-Th:F8IC processed from CB. According to ultraviolet spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering analyses, the enhanced photovoltaic performance and thermal stability are mainly attributed to formation of PTB7-Th nanofibers and appropriate aggregation of F8IC. The interaction free energy calculated using water and diiodomethane contact angles reveals that PTB7-Th well disperses in CB and tends to aggregate in CF, while F8IC aggregates strongly in CB. The preaggregation matching of the donor and acceptor in solution is essential for the optimization of morphology, efficiency, and thermal stability. The findings in this article could provide useful guidelines to fabricate efficient and thermally stable organic solar cells simply by analyzing the surface energy of components processed from different solvents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Xiao
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Nanchang University, 999 Xuefu Avenue, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Nan Yi
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Nanchang University, 999 Xuefu Avenue, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Ge Yao
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Nanchang University, 999 Xuefu Avenue, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Jianing Lu
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Nanchang University, 999 Xuefu Avenue, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Shifeng Leng
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiaotong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Feng Liu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiaotong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Ming Hu
- College of Chemistry, Nanchang University, 999 Xuefu Avenue, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Zhongyi Yuan
- College of Chemistry, Nanchang University, 999 Xuefu Avenue, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Weihua Zhou
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Nanchang University, 999 Xuefu Avenue, Nanchang 330031, China
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Socol M, Preda N, Breazu C, Costas A, Petre G, Stanculescu A, Popescu-Pelin G, Mihailescu A, Socol G. Organic Thin Films Based on DPP-DTT:C60 Blends Deposited by MAPLE. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2020; 10:E2366. [PMID: 33261138 PMCID: PMC7761236 DOI: 10.3390/nano10122366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) technique was used for depositing thin films based on a recently developed conjugated polymer, poly[2,5-(2-octyldodecyl)-3,6-diketopyrrolopyrrole-alt-5,5-(2,5-di(thien-2-yl)thieno [3,2-b]thiophene)] (DPP-DTT) and fullerene C60 blends. The targets used in the MAPLE process were obtained by freezing chloroform solutions with different DPP-DTT:C60 weight ratios, with the MAPLE deposition being carried at a low laser fluence, varying the number of laser pulses. The structural, morphological, optical, and electrical properties of the DPP-DTT:C60 blend layers deposited by MAPLE were investigated in order to emphasize the influence of the DPP-DTT:C60 weight ratio and the number of laser pulses on these features. The preservation of the chemical structure of both DPP-DTT and C60 during the MAPLE deposition process is confirmed by the presence of their vibrational fingerprints in the FTIR spectra of the organic thin films. The UV-VIS and photoluminescence spectra of the obtained organic layers reveal the absorption bands attributed to DPP-DTT and the emission bands associated with C60, respectively. The morphology of the DPP-DTT:C60 blend films consists of aggregates and fibril-like structures. Regardless the DPP-DTT:C60 weight ratio and the number of laser pulses used during the MAPLE process, the current-voltage characteristics recorded, under illumination, of all structures developed on the MAPLE deposited layers evidenced a photovoltaic cell behavior. The results proved that the MAPLE emerges as a viable technique for depositing thin films based on conjugated polymers featured by a complex structure that can be further used to develop devices for applications in the solar cell area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela Socol
- National Institute of Material Physics, 405A Atomistilor Street, 077125 Magurele, Romania; (C.B.); (A.C.); (G.P.); (A.S.)
| | - Nicoleta Preda
- National Institute of Material Physics, 405A Atomistilor Street, 077125 Magurele, Romania; (C.B.); (A.C.); (G.P.); (A.S.)
| | - Carmen Breazu
- National Institute of Material Physics, 405A Atomistilor Street, 077125 Magurele, Romania; (C.B.); (A.C.); (G.P.); (A.S.)
| | - Andreea Costas
- National Institute of Material Physics, 405A Atomistilor Street, 077125 Magurele, Romania; (C.B.); (A.C.); (G.P.); (A.S.)
| | - Gabriela Petre
- National Institute of Material Physics, 405A Atomistilor Street, 077125 Magurele, Romania; (C.B.); (A.C.); (G.P.); (A.S.)
- Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest, 405 Atomistilor Street, 077125 Magurele, Romania
| | - Anca Stanculescu
- National Institute of Material Physics, 405A Atomistilor Street, 077125 Magurele, Romania; (C.B.); (A.C.); (G.P.); (A.S.)
| | - Gianina Popescu-Pelin
- National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor Street, 077125 Magurele, Romania; (G.P.-P.); (A.M.); (G.S.)
| | - Andreea Mihailescu
- National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor Street, 077125 Magurele, Romania; (G.P.-P.); (A.M.); (G.S.)
| | - Gabriel Socol
- National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor Street, 077125 Magurele, Romania; (G.P.-P.); (A.M.); (G.S.)
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Chen Z, Tang Y, Lin B, Zhao H, Li T, Min T, Yan H, Ma W. Probe and Control of the Tiny Amounts of Dopants in BHJ Film Enable Higher Performance of Polymer Solar Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:25115-25124. [PMID: 32378400 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c06127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
To achieve efficient doping in polymer solar cells (PSCs), the dopant needs to be selectively located in the binary components of a bulk heterojunction (BHJ) film according to its polarity. The rarely studied n-type dopant is thoroughly examined in a simplified planar heterojunction (PHJ) device to address its favored location in the active layer. Results show that the n-dopant distribution in the acceptor layer or at the donor/acceptor interface produces enhanced device performance, whereas it harms the device when located in the donor layer. Based on the results, the benefit of n-type doping is then transferred to the highly efficient BHJ devices via a sequential coating procedure. The performance improvement is closely linked to the variations in the dopant's location in the BHJ film, which is carefully examined by the synchrotron techniques with delicate chemical sensitivity. More interestingly, the sequential coating procedure can be easily extended to the p-doped device only by changing the dopant's polarity in the middle layer. These findings pave the way for ambipolar doping in PSCs and enable performance improvement by molecular doping within the expectations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyu Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Yabing Tang
- State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Baojun Lin
- State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Hanzhang Zhao
- Center of Spintronics and Quantum Systems, State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Tao Li
- Center of Spintronics and Quantum Systems, State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Tai Min
- Center of Spintronics and Quantum Systems, State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Han Yan
- 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
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Tseng P, Hsiao H, Hsieh C, Wu A, Chuang S. Organic bulk heterojunction photovoltaics incorporating cyclopenteno[60]fullerene monoadducts as n‐type materials display superior power conversion efficiency than with PC
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BM. J CHIN CHEM SOC-TAIP 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/jccs.201900462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Po‐Yen Tseng
- Department of Applied ChemistryNational Chiao Tung University Hsinchu Taiwan Republic of China
| | - Huan‐Chang Hsiao
- Department of Applied ChemistryNational Chiao Tung University Hsinchu Taiwan Republic of China
| | - Cheng‐Ming Hsieh
- Department of Applied ChemistryNational Chiao Tung University Hsinchu Taiwan Republic of China
| | - An‐Ju Wu
- Department of Applied ChemistryNational Chiao Tung University Hsinchu Taiwan Republic of China
| | - Shih‐Ching Chuang
- Department of Applied ChemistryNational Chiao Tung University Hsinchu Taiwan Republic of China
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Willems RM, Meskers SCJ, Wienk MM, Janssen RAJ. Effect of Charge-Transfer State Energy on Charge Generation Efficiency via Singlet Fission in Pentacene-Fullerene Solar Cells. THE JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY. C, NANOMATERIALS AND INTERFACES 2019; 123:10253-10261. [PMID: 31049121 PMCID: PMC6488139 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.9b00568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2019] [Revised: 03/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Singlet fission in pentacene creates two triplet excitons per absorbed photon. In a solar cell, each triplet can generate an electron-hole pair, and hence, external quantum efficiencies exceeding 100% have been reported for pentacene-fullerene solar cells. The energetics of this process are intriguing because the minimum photon energy loss, defined as the energy difference between the (triplet) exciton state and the open-circuit voltage, is less than 0.5 eV and distinctively smaller than that in most organic donor-acceptor solar cells. To investigate the energetics of this process, we analyze the effect of the energy of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) for different fullerene derivatives. With the LUMO energy becoming less negative, the open-circuit voltage increases and charge generation decreases. For all but one of the fullerenes tested, the charge-transfer state energy is distinctively higher than the pentacene triplet energy, revealing that charge generation via singlet fission is actually endergonic. An elementary Marcus model for the rate of electron transfer provides a qualitative description of the experimental trends, in accordance with an endergonic charge transfer. Considering that charge generation from triplet states is endergonic, involvement of pentacene singlet states, either from direct photoexcitation or via triplet-triplet annihilation, cannot be excluded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin
E. M. Willems
- Molecular
Materials and Nanosystems and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Stefan C. J. Meskers
- Molecular
Materials and Nanosystems and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn M. Wienk
- Molecular
Materials and Nanosystems and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - René A. J. Janssen
- Molecular
Materials and Nanosystems and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Dutch
Institute for Fundamental Energy Research, De Zaale 20, 5612
AJ Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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