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Peng W, Xiong J, Chen T, Zhao D, Liu J, Zhang N, Teng Y, Yu J, Zhu W. Impact of length of branched alkyl side chains on thiazolothiazole-based small molecular acceptors in non-fullerene polymer solar cells. RSC Adv 2024; 14:8081-8089. [PMID: 38464695 PMCID: PMC10921173 DOI: 10.1039/d4ra00572d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
It has been reported that the length of branched alkyl side chains on fused-ring electron acceptors confers different impacts on properties versus solubility of BJH blends. However, because this impact on a non-fused acceptor backbone has rarely been studied, we examined the impact of molecular optimization from alkyl chain tuning based on non-fused thiazolothiazole small-molecule acceptors. The length of the side chain on the thiophene bridge was modified from 2-butyloctyl to 2-ethylhexyl, which corresponds to small molecules TTz3(C4C6) and TTz3(C2C4), respectively. Compared with the reported TTz3(C6C8) with long alkyl side chains, TTz3(C4C6) and TTz3(C2C4) exhibited stronger molecular aggregation, higher absorption coefficients, and greater redshifted UV absorption. Unexpectedly, after the alkyl chain was slightly shortened in this type of acceptor system, devices were successfully fabricated, but it was necessary to reduce the blending concentration at low rotation speeds due to the sharp decrease in the solubility of corresponding acceptor materials. Thus, the obtained unfavorable thickness and morphology of the active layer caused a decrease in Jsc and FF. As a consequence, TTz3(C4C6)- and TTz3(C2C4)-based devices showed an unsatisfactory power conversion efficiency of 6.02% and 2.71%, respectively, when donors were paired with the wide bandgap donor J71, which is inferior to that of TTz3(C6C8)-based devices (8.76%). These results indicate that it is challenging to determine the limit of the adjustable range of side chains to modify non-fused thiazolothiazole small-molecule acceptors for high-performance non-fullerene solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhong Peng
- School of Materials Engineering, Changzhou Vocational Institute of Industry Technology Changzhou 213164 China
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis & Waste Recycling, School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Institute of Engineering Xiangtan 411104 China
| | - Jiyu Xiong
- School of Materials Engineering, Changzhou Vocational Institute of Industry Technology Changzhou 213164 China
| | - Tao Chen
- School of Materials Engineering, Changzhou Vocational Institute of Industry Technology Changzhou 213164 China
| | - Dong Zhao
- School of Materials Engineering, Changzhou Vocational Institute of Industry Technology Changzhou 213164 China
| | - Jinran Liu
- School of Materials Engineering, Changzhou Vocational Institute of Industry Technology Changzhou 213164 China
| | - Ning Zhang
- School of Materials Engineering, Changzhou Vocational Institute of Industry Technology Changzhou 213164 China
| | - Yefang Teng
- School of Materials Engineering, Changzhou Vocational Institute of Industry Technology Changzhou 213164 China
| | - Junting Yu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center of Light-Electricity-Heat Energy-Converting Materials and Applications, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Photovoltaic Science and Engineering, Jiangsu Key Laboratories of Environment-Friendly Polymers, National Experimental Demonstration Center for Materials Science and Engineering, Changzhou University Changzhou 213164 China
| | - Weiguo Zhu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center of Light-Electricity-Heat Energy-Converting Materials and Applications, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Photovoltaic Science and Engineering, Jiangsu Key Laboratories of Environment-Friendly Polymers, National Experimental Demonstration Center for Materials Science and Engineering, Changzhou University Changzhou 213164 China
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2
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Li D, Wang H, Chen J, Wu Q. Fluorinated Polymer Donors for Nonfullerene Organic Solar Cells. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202303155. [PMID: 38018363 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202303155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
The rapid development of narrow-bandgap nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs) has boosted the efficiency of organic solar cells (OSCs) over 19 %. The new features of high-performance NFAs, such as visible-NIR light absorption, moderate the highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMO), and high crystallinity, require polymer donors with matching physical properties. This emphasizes the importance of methods that can effectively tune the physical properties of polymers. Owning to very small atom size and strongest electronegativity, the fluorination has been proved the most efficient strategy to regulate the physical properties of polymer donors, including frontier energy level, absorption coefficient, dielectric constant, crystallinity and charge transport. Owing to the success of fluorination strategy, the vast majority of high-performance polymer donors possess one or more fluorine atoms. In this review, the fluorination synthetic methods, the synthetic route of well-known fluorinated building blocks, the fluorinated polymers which are categorized by the type of donor or acceptor units, and the relationships between the polymer structures, properties, and photovoltaic performances are comprehensively surveyed. We hope this review could provide the readers a deeper insight into fluorination strategy and lay a strong foundation for future innovation of fluorinated polymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongyan Li
- Department of Chemistry and Key Laboratory for Preparation and Application of Ordered Structural Materials of Guangdong, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong, 515063, China
| | - Huijuan Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Key Laboratory for Preparation and Application of Ordered Structural Materials of Guangdong, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong, 515063, China
| | - Jinming Chen
- Department of Chemistry and Key Laboratory for Preparation and Application of Ordered Structural Materials of Guangdong, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong, 515063, China
| | - Qinghe Wu
- Department of Chemistry and Key Laboratory for Preparation and Application of Ordered Structural Materials of Guangdong, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong, 515063, China
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Zhou D, Wang Y, Yang S, Quan J, Deng J, Wang J, Li Y, Tong Y, Wang Q, Chen L. Recent Advances of Benzodithiophene-Based Donor Materials for Organic Solar Cells. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2306854. [PMID: 37828639 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202306854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Recently, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic solar cells (OSCs) has increased dramatically, making a big step toward the industrial application of OSCs. Among numerous OSCs, benzodithiophene (BDT)-based OSCs stand out in achieving efficient PCE. Notably, single-junction OSCs using BDT-based polymers as donor materials have completed a PCE of over 19%, indicating a dramatic potential for preparing high-performance large-scale OSCs. This paper reviews the recent progress of OSCs based on BDT polymer donor materials (PDMs). The development of BDT-based OSCs is concisely summarized. Meanwhile, the relationship between the structure of PDMs and the performance of OSCs is further described in this review. Besides, the development and prospect of single junction OSCs are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Persistent Pollutants, Control and Resources Recycle, Nanchang Hangkong University, 696 Fenghe South Avenue, Nanchang, 330063, China
| | - Yanyan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Persistent Pollutants, Control and Resources Recycle, Nanchang Hangkong University, 696 Fenghe South Avenue, Nanchang, 330063, China
| | - Shu Yang
- College of Chemical Engineering, Hebei Normal University of Science & Technology, Qinhuangdao, 066004, China
| | - Jianwei Quan
- Key Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Persistent Pollutants, Control and Resources Recycle, Nanchang Hangkong University, 696 Fenghe South Avenue, Nanchang, 330063, China
| | - Jiawei Deng
- Institute of Polymers and Energy Chemistry (IPEC), Nanchang University, 999 Xuefu Avenue, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Jianru Wang
- Key Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Persistent Pollutants, Control and Resources Recycle, Nanchang Hangkong University, 696 Fenghe South Avenue, Nanchang, 330063, China
| | - Yubing Li
- Key Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Persistent Pollutants, Control and Resources Recycle, Nanchang Hangkong University, 696 Fenghe South Avenue, Nanchang, 330063, China
| | - Yongfen Tong
- Key Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Persistent Pollutants, Control and Resources Recycle, Nanchang Hangkong University, 696 Fenghe South Avenue, Nanchang, 330063, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Persistent Pollutants, Control and Resources Recycle, Nanchang Hangkong University, 696 Fenghe South Avenue, Nanchang, 330063, China
| | - Lie Chen
- Institute of Polymers and Energy Chemistry (IPEC), Nanchang University, 999 Xuefu Avenue, Nanchang, 330031, China
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Nakao N, Ogawa S, Kim HD, Ohkita H, Mikie T, Saito M, Osaka I. Pronounced Backbone Coplanarization by π-Extension in a Sterically Hindered Conjugated Polymer System Leads to Higher Photovoltaic Performance in Non-Fullerene Solar Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:56420-56429. [PMID: 34783522 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c17199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Achieving both the backbone order and solubility of π-conjugated polymers, which are often in a trade-off relationship, is imperative for maximizing the performance of organic solar cells. Here, we studied three different π-conjugated polymers based on thiazolothiazole (PSTz1 and POTz1) and benzobisthiazole (PNBTz1) that were combined with a benzodithiophene unit in the backbone, where PNBTz1 was newly synthesized. Because of the steric hindrance between the side chains located on neighboring heteroaromatic rings, POTz1 had a much less coplanar backbone than PSTz1 in which such a steric hindrance is absent. However, POTz1 showed higher photovoltaic performance in solar cells that used Y6 as the acceptor material. This was likely due to the significantly higher solubility of POTz1 than PSTz1, resulting in a better morphology. Interestingly, PNBTz1 was found to have markedly higher backbone coplanarity than POTz1, despite having similar steric hindrance between the side chains, most likely owing to the more extended π-electron system, whereas PNBTz1 had good solubility comparable to POTz1. As a result, PNBTz1 exhibited higher photovoltaic performance than POTz1 in the Y6-based cells: specifically, the fill factor was significantly enhanced. Our results indicate that the backbone order and solubility can be achieved by the careful molecular design, which indeed leads to higher photovoltaic performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoya Nakao
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan
| | - Soichiro Ogawa
- Graduate School of Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan
| | - Hyung Do Kim
- Department of Polymer Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Hideo Ohkita
- Department of Polymer Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Tsubasa Mikie
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan
- Graduate School of Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan
| | - Masahiko Saito
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan
- Graduate School of Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan
| | - Itaru Osaka
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan
- Graduate School of Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan
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5
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Saito M, Ogawa S, Osaka I. Contrasting Effect of Side-Chain Placement on Photovoltaic Performance of Binary and Ternary Blend Organic Solar Cells in Benzodithiophene-Thiazolothiazole Polymers. CHEMSUSCHEM 2021; 14:5032-5041. [PMID: 34498412 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202101345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
π-Conjugated polymers are important materials for organic photovoltaics. While search for new backbone systems is central to the development of π-conjugated polymers, side-chain engineering is also imperative. Here, two benzodithiophene-thiazolothiazole copolymers, PSTz1 and POTz1, were synthesized, for which the side-chain placement was different. Due to less steric hindrance between the side chains, PSTz1 had a more coplanar backbone than POTz1. This led to significant differences in trend of the performance for the binary and ternary blend cells that used a fullerene (PC71 BM) and/or non-fullerene (ITIC) as the acceptor materials. Whereas PSTz1 showed higher photovoltaic performance in the PC71 BM-based cell, POTz1 showed higher performance in the ITIC-based cell. Furthermore, in the ternary blend cell, whereas increase in the PC71 BM content improved the photovoltaic performance for the PSTz1 system, it was detrimental to the performance for the POTz1 system. These results could be a good guideline for maximizing the performance of organic photovoltaics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiko Saito
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi, Hiroshima, 7398527, Japan
| | - Soichiro Ogawa
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi, Hiroshima, 7398527, Japan
| | - Itaru Osaka
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi, Hiroshima, 7398527, Japan
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Wang J, Zhao C, Zhou L, Liang X, Li Y, Sheng G, Du Z, Tang J. An Effective Strategy to Design a Large Bandgap Conjugated Polymer by Tuning the Molecular Backbone Curvature. Macromol Rapid Commun 2021; 42:e2000757. [PMID: 33870582 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202000757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
With the significant progress of low bandgap non-fullerene acceptors, the development of wide bandgap (WBG) donors possessing ideal complementary absorption is of crucial importance to further enhance the photovoltaic performance of organic solar cells. An ideal strategy to design WBG donors is to down-shift the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and up-shift the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO). A properly low-lying HOMO of the donor is favorable to obtaining a high open-circuit voltage, and a properly high-lying LUMO of the donor is conductive to efficient exciton dissociation. This work provides a new strategy to enlarge the bandgap of a polymer with simultaneously decreased HOMO and increased LUMO by increasing the polymer backbone curvature. The polymer PIDT-fDTBT with a large molecular backbone curvature shows a decreased HOMO of -5.38 eV and a prominently increased LUMO of -3.35 eV relative to the linear polymer PIDT-DTBT (EHOMO = -5.30 eV, ELUMO = -3.55 eV). The optical bandgap of PIDT-fDTBT is obviously broadened from 1.75 to 2.03 eV. This work demonstrates that increasing the polymer backbone curvature can effectively broaden the bandgap by simultaneously decreasing HOMO and increasing LUMO, which may guide the design of WBG conjugated materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiuxing Wang
- Institute of Hybrid Materials, National Center of International Joint Research for Hybrid Materials Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China
| | - Congcong Zhao
- Institute of Hybrid Materials, National Center of International Joint Research for Hybrid Materials Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-based Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
| | - Long Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China
| | - Xin Liang
- Institute of Hybrid Materials, National Center of International Joint Research for Hybrid Materials Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China
| | - Yonghai Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-based Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
| | - Guanyu Sheng
- Institute of Hybrid Materials, National Center of International Joint Research for Hybrid Materials Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China
| | - Zhonglin Du
- Institute of Hybrid Materials, National Center of International Joint Research for Hybrid Materials Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China
| | - Jianguo Tang
- Institute of Hybrid Materials, National Center of International Joint Research for Hybrid Materials Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China
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Wang LM, Li Q, Liu S, Cao Z, Cai YP, Jiao X, Lai H, Xie W, Zhan X, Zhu T. Quantitative Determination of the Vertical Segregation and Molecular Ordering of PBDB-T/ITIC Blend Films with Solvent Additives. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:24165-24173. [PMID: 32366090 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c02843] [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
The vertical component distribution of bulk heterojunction (BHJ) active film shows a significant impact on determining the device performance in polymer solar cells (PSCs). Processing solvent additives are well known for regulating the BHJ active layer morphology; however, there are few reports regarding the quantitative evaluation of the effect. Herein, a study of the quantitative determination of the vertical segregation in combination of molecular ordering of PBDB-T/ITIC blend films with various 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO) contents is provided. A 0.5% (volume ratio) DIO-added blend film achieves the highest power conversion efficiency of 10.75%. The reduced performance of the PSCs resulted from the excessive vertical component segregation and overcrystallization investigated by various techniques. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicates that DIO aggravates the PBDB-T enrichment region at the air side. Neutron reflectivity further quantitatively figures out the phase separation effect. Although increased crystallinity of ITIC and a higher face-on ratio of PBDB-T in active layer were obtained with increased DIO content approved by grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS), the enhanced vertical distribution along with the enhanced crystal size of ITIC leads to the reduced performance of the PSCs due to the reduced carrier transportation paths between donor and acceptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Ming Wang
- Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100049, China
- Spallation Neutron Source Science Center, Dongguan 523803, China
| | - Qingduan Li
- South China Normal University (SCNU), Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Shengjian Liu
- South China Normal University (SCNU), Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zhixiong Cao
- South China Normal University (SCNU), Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yue-Peng Cai
- South China Normal University (SCNU), Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Xuechen Jiao
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- Australian Synchrotron, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia
| | - Haojie Lai
- Siyuan Laboratory, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Vacuum Coating Technologies and New Energy Materials, Department of Physics, Jinan University (JNU), Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Weiguang Xie
- Siyuan Laboratory, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Vacuum Coating Technologies and New Energy Materials, Department of Physics, Jinan University (JNU), Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Xiaozhi Zhan
- Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100049, China
- Spallation Neutron Source Science Center, Dongguan 523803, China
| | - Tao Zhu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
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Wang Y, Miao J, Dou C, Liu J, Wang L. BODIPY bearing alkylthienyl side chains: a new building block to design conjugated polymers with near infrared absorption for organic photovoltaics. Polym Chem 2020. [DOI: 10.1039/d0py00868k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
A new benzene-fused BODIPY unit for designing polymer donors with near-infrared absorption for organic photovoltaics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinghui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Changchun 130022
- People's Republic of China
| | - Junhui Miao
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Changchun 130022
- People's Republic of China
| | - Chuandong Dou
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Changchun 130022
- People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Changchun 130022
- People's Republic of China
| | - Lixiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Changchun 130022
- People's Republic of China
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