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Zhou Q, Yan C, Li H, Zhu Z, Gao Y, Xiong J, Tang H, Zhu C, Yu H, Lopez SPG, Wang J, Qin M, Li J, Luo L, Liu X, Qin J, Lu S, Meng L, Laquai F, Li Y, Cheng P. Polymer Fiber Rigid Network with High Glass Transition Temperature Reinforces Stability of Organic Photovoltaics. NANO-MICRO LETTERS 2024; 16:224. [PMID: 38888701 PMCID: PMC11189398 DOI: 10.1007/s40820-024-01442-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) need to overcome limitations such as insufficient thermal stability to be commercialized. The reported approaches to improve stability either rely on the development of new materials or on tailoring the donor/acceptor morphology, however, exhibiting limited applicability. Therefore, it is timely to develop an easy method to enhance thermal stability without having to develop new donor/acceptor materials or donor-acceptor compatibilizers, or by introducing another third component. Herein, a unique approach is presented, based on constructing a polymer fiber rigid network with a high glass transition temperature (Tg) to impede the movement of acceptor and donor molecules, to immobilize the active layer morphology, and thereby to improve thermal stability. A high-Tg one-dimensional aramid nanofiber (ANF) is utilized for network construction. Inverted OPVs with ANF network yield superior thermal stability compared to the ANF-free counterpart. The ANF network-incorporated active layer demonstrates significantly more stable morphology than the ANF-free counterpart, thereby leaving fundamental processes such as charge separation, transport, and collection, determining the device efficiency, largely unaltered. This strategy is also successfully applied to other photovoltaic systems. The strategy of incorporating a polymer fiber rigid network with high Tg offers a distinct perspective addressing the challenge of thermal instability with simplicity and universality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiao Zhou
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, People's Republic of China
| | - Cenqi Yan
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hongxiang Li
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhendong Zhu
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, People's Republic of China
| | - Yujie Gao
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Xiong
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, People's Republic of China
| | - Hua Tang
- KAUST Solar Center, Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Can Zhu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, People's Republic of China
| | - Hailin Yu
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, People's Republic of China
| | - Sandra P Gonzalez Lopez
- KAUST Solar Center, Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Jiayu Wang
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, People's Republic of China
| | - Meng Qin
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianshu Li
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, People's Republic of China
| | - Longbo Luo
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xiangyang Liu
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiaqiang Qin
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, People's Republic of China
| | - Shirong Lu
- Department of Material Science and Technology, Taizhou University, Taizhou, 318000, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Meng
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, People's Republic of China
| | - Frédéric Laquai
- KAUST Solar Center, Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Yongfang Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, People's Republic of China
| | - Pei Cheng
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, People's Republic of China.
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2
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Lee JW, Park JS, Jeon H, Lee S, Jeong D, Lee C, Kim YH, Kim BJ. Recent progress and prospects of dimer and multimer acceptors for efficient and stable polymer solar cells. Chem Soc Rev 2024; 53:4674-4706. [PMID: 38529583 DOI: 10.1039/d3cs00895a] [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
High power conversion efficiency (PCE) and long-term stability are essential prerequisites for the commercialization of polymer solar cells (PSCs). Small-molecule acceptors (SMAs) are core materials that have led to recent, rapid increases in the PCEs of the PSCs. However, a critical limitation of the resulting PSCs is their poor long-term stability. Blend morphology degradation from rapid diffusion of SMAs with low glass transition temperatures (Tgs) is considered the main cause of the poor long-term stability of the PSCs. The recent emergence of oligomerized SMAs (OSMAs), composed of two or more repeating SMA units (i.e., dimerized and trimerized SMAs), has shown great promise in overcoming these challenges. This innovation in material design has enabled OSMA-based PSCs to reach impressive PCEs near 19% and exceptional long-term stability. In this review, we summarize the evolution of OSMAs, including their research background and recent progress in molecular design. In particular, we discuss the mechanisms for high PCE and stability of OSMA-based PSCs and suggest useful design guidelines for high-performance OSMAs. Furthermore, we reflect on the existing hurdles and future directions for OSMA materials towards achieving commercially viable PSCs with high PCEs and operational stabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Woo Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jin Su Park
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea.
| | - Hyesu Jeon
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea.
| | - Seungjin Lee
- Advanced Energy Materials Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
| | - Dahyun Jeong
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea.
| | - Changyeon Lee
- School of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun-Hi Kim
- Department of Chemistry and RINS, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Bumjoon J Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea.
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3
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Ding Y, Xiong S, Li M, Pu M, Zhu Y, Lai X, Wang Y, Qiu D, Lai H, He F. Highly-Efficient 2D Nonfullerene Acceptors Enabled by Subtle Molecular Tailoring Engineering. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2309169. [PMID: 38072767 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202309169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
The conjugate expansion of nonfullerene acceptors is considered to be a promising approach for improving organic photovoltaic performance because of its function in tuning morphological structure and molecular stacking behavior. In this work, two nonfullerene acceptors are designed and synthesized using a 2D π-conjugate expansion strategy, thus enabling the construction of highly-efficient organic solar cells (OSCs). Compared with YB2B (incorporating dibromophenanthrene on the quinoxaline-fused core), YB2T (incorporating dibromobenzodithiophene on the quinoxaline-fused core) has red-shifted spectral absorption and better charge transport properties. Moreover, the more orderly and tightly intermolecular stacking of YB2T provides the possibility of forming a more suitable phase separation morphology in blend films. Through characterization and analysis, the YB2T-based blend film is found to have higher exciton dissociation efficiency and less charge recombination. Consequently, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 17.05% is achieved in YB2T-based binary OSCs, while YB2B-based devices only reached 10.94%. This study demonstrates the significance of the aromatic-ring substitution strategy for regulating the electronic structure and aggregation behavior of 2D nonfullerene acceptors, facilitating the development of devices with superior photovoltaic performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yafei Ding
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Shilong Xiong
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Mingpeng Li
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Mingrui Pu
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Yiwu Zhu
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Xue Lai
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Yunpeng Wang
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Dongsheng Qiu
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Hanjian Lai
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Feng He
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
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Zhang KN, Du XY, Yan L, Pu YJ, Tajima K, Wang X, Hao XT. Organic Photovoltaic Stability: Understanding the Role of Engineering Exciton and Charge Carrier Dynamics from Recent Progress. SMALL METHODS 2024; 8:e2300397. [PMID: 37204077 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202300397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Benefiting from the synergistic development of material design, device engineering, and the mechanistic understanding of device physics, the certified power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of single-junction non-fullerene organic solar cells (OSCs) have already reached a very high value of exceeding 19%. However, in addition to PCEs, the poor stability is now a challenging obstacle for commercial applications of organic photovoltaics (OPVs). Herein, recent progress made in exploring operational mechanisms, anomalous photoelectric behaviors, and improving long-term stability in non-fullerene OSCs are highlighted from a novel and previously largely undiscussed perspective of engineering exciton and charge carrier pathways. Considering the intrinsic connection among multiple temporal-scale photocarrier dynamics, multi-length scale morphologies, and photovoltaic performance in OPVs, this review delineates and establishes a comprehensive and in-depth property-function relationship for evaluating the actual device stability. Moreover, this review has also provided some valuable photophysical insights into employing the advanced characterization techniques such as transient absorption spectroscopy and time-resolved fluorescence imagings. Finally, some of the remaining major challenges related to this topic are proposed toward the further advances of enhancing long-term operational stability in non-fullerene OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang-Ning Zhang
- School of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250100, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Yan Du
- School of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250100, P. R. China
| | - Lei Yan
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, P. R. China
| | - Yong-Jin Pu
- RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS), 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Keisuke Tajima
- RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS), 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Xingzhu Wang
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, P. R. China
- School of Electrical Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Tao Hao
- School of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250100, P. R. China
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science, School of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
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5
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Zhang C, Song J, Ye L, Li X, Jee MH, Woo HY, Sun Y. Simple and Efficient Synthesis of Novel Tetramers with Enhanced Glass Transition Temperature for High-Performance and Stable Organic Solar Cells. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202316295. [PMID: 38057496 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202316295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Oligomer acceptors in organic solar cells (OSCs) have garnered substantial attention owing to their impressive power conversion efficiency (PCE) and long-term stability. However, the simple and efficient synthesis of oligomer acceptors with higher glass transition temperatures (Tg ) remains a formidable challenge. In this study, we propose an innovative strategy for the synthesis of tetramers, denoted as Tet-n, with elevated Tg s, achieved through only two consecutive Stille coupling reactions. Importantly, our strategy significantly reduces the redundancy in reaction steps compared to conventional methods for linear tetramer synthesis, thereby improving both reaction efficiency and yield. Furthermore, the OSC based on PM6:Tet-1 attains a high PCE of 17.32 %, and the PM6:L8-BO:Tet-1 ternary device achieves an even more higher PCE of 19.31 %. Remarkably, the binary device based on the Tet-1 tetramer demonstrates outstanding operational stability, retaining 80 % of the initial efficiency (T80 ) even after 1706 h of continuous illumination, which is primarily attributed to the enhanced Tg (247 °C) and lower diffusion coefficient (1.56×10-27 cm2 s-1 ). This work demonstrates the effectiveness of our proposed approach in the straightforward and efficient synthesis of tetramers materials with higher Tg s, thus offering a viable pathway for developing high-efficiency and stable OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Zhang
- School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, P. R. China
| | - Jiali Song
- School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, P. R. China
| | - Linglong Ye
- School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoming Li
- School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, P. R. China
| | - Min Hun Jee
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul, 136-713, Republic of Korea
| | - Han Young Woo
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul, 136-713, Republic of Korea
| | - Yanming Sun
- School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, P. R. China
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6
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Seo S, Lee JW, Kim DJ, Lee D, Phan TNL, Park J, Tan Z, Cho S, Kim TS, Kim BJ. Poly(dimethylsiloxane)-block-PM6 Polymer Donors for High-Performance and Mechanically Robust Polymer Solar Cells. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2300230. [PMID: 36929364 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202300230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
High power conversion efficiency (PCE) and stretchability are the dual requirements for the wearable application of polymer solar cells (PSCs). However, most efficient photoactive films are mechanically brittle. In this work, highly efficient (PCE = 18%) and mechanically robust (crack-onset strain (COS) = 18%) PSCs are acheived by designing block copolymer (BCP) donors, PM6-b-PDMSx (x = 5k, 12k, and 19k). In these BCP donors, stretchable poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) blocks are covalently linked with the PM6 blocks to effectively increase the stretchability. The stretchability of the BCP donors increases with a longer PDMS block, and PM6-b-PDMS19k :L8-BO PSC exhibits a high PCE (18%) and 9-times higher COS value (18%) compared to that (COS = 2%) of the PM6:L8-BO-based PSC. However, the PM6:L8-BO:PDMS12k ternary blend shows inferior PCE (5%) and COS (1%) due to the macrophase separation between PDMS and active components. In the intrinsically stretchable PSC, the PM6-b-PDMS19k :L8-BO blend exhibits significantly greater mechanical stability PCE80% ((80% of the initial PCE) at 36% strain) than those of the PM6:L8-BO blend (PCE80% at 12% strain) and the PM6:L8-BO:PDMS ternary blend (PCE80% at 4% strain). This study suggests an effective design strategy of BCP PD to achieve stretchable and efficient PSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soodeok Seo
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Woo Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Jun Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Dongchan Lee
- Department of Physics and EHSRC, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, 44610, Republic of Korea
| | - Tan Ngoc-Lan Phan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinseok Park
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Zhengping Tan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Shinuk Cho
- Department of Physics and EHSRC, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, 44610, Republic of Korea
| | - Taek-Soo Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Bumjoon J Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
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7
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Liu B, Sun H, Lee JW, Jiang Z, Qiao J, Wang J, Yang J, Feng K, Liao Q, An M, Li B, Han D, Xu B, Lian H, Niu L, Kim BJ, Guo X. Efficient and stable organic solar cells enabled by multicomponent photoactive layer based on one-pot polymerization. Nat Commun 2023; 14:967. [PMID: 36810743 PMCID: PMC9944902 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36413-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Degradation of the kinetically trapped bulk heterojunction film morphology in organic solar cells (OSCs) remains a grand challenge for their practical application. Herein, we demonstrate highly thermally stable OSCs using multicomponent photoactive layer synthesized via a facile one-pot polymerization, which show the advantages of low synthetic cost and simplified device fabrication. The OSCs based on multicomponent photoactive layer deliver a high power conversion efficiency of 11.8% and exhibit excellent device stability for over 1000 h (>80% of their initial efficiency retention), realizing a balance between device efficiency and operational lifetime for OSCs. In-depth opto-electrical and morphological properties characterizations revealed that the dominant PM6-b-L15 block polymers with backbone entanglement and the small fraction of PM6 and L15 polymers synergistically contribute to the frozen fine-tuned film morphology and maintain well-balanced charge transport under long-time operation. These findings pave the way towards the development of low-cost and long-term stable OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Liu
- grid.411863.90000 0001 0067 3588Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Photoelectric Sensing Materials & Devices, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Sensing Materials & Devices, Center for Advanced Analytical Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006 P.R. China ,grid.263817.90000 0004 1773 1790Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055 P.R. China
| | - Huiliang Sun
- Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Photoelectric Sensing Materials & Devices, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Sensing Materials & Devices, Center for Advanced Analytical Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006, P.R. China. .,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, P.R. China.
| | - Jin-Woo Lee
- grid.37172.300000 0001 2292 0500Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141 Republic of Korea
| | - Zhengyan Jiang
- grid.263817.90000 0004 1773 1790Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055 P.R. China
| | - Junqin Qiao
- grid.41156.370000 0001 2314 964XState Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering and Center of Materials Analysis, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023 P.R. China
| | - Junwei Wang
- grid.263817.90000 0004 1773 1790Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055 P.R. China
| | - Jie Yang
- grid.263817.90000 0004 1773 1790Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055 P.R. China
| | - Kui Feng
- grid.263817.90000 0004 1773 1790Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055 P.R. China
| | - Qiaogan Liao
- grid.263817.90000 0004 1773 1790Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055 P.R. China
| | - Mingwei An
- grid.263817.90000 0004 1773 1790Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055 P.R. China
| | - Bolin Li
- grid.263817.90000 0004 1773 1790Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055 P.R. China
| | - Dongxue Han
- grid.411863.90000 0001 0067 3588Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Photoelectric Sensing Materials & Devices, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Sensing Materials & Devices, Center for Advanced Analytical Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006 P.R. China
| | - Baomin Xu
- grid.263817.90000 0004 1773 1790Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055 P.R. China
| | - Hongzhen Lian
- grid.41156.370000 0001 2314 964XState Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering and Center of Materials Analysis, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023 P.R. China
| | - Li Niu
- Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Photoelectric Sensing Materials & Devices, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Sensing Materials & Devices, Center for Advanced Analytical Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006, P.R. China.
| | - Bumjoon J. Kim
- grid.37172.300000 0001 2292 0500Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141 Republic of Korea
| | - Xugang Guo
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, P.R. China. .,Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory Dongguan, Guangdong, 523808, P.R. China.
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8
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Phan TNL, Lee JW, Oh ES, Lee S, Lee C, Kim TS, Li S, Kim BJ. Efficient and Nonhalogenated Solvent-Processed Organic Solar Cells Enabled by Conjugated Donor-Acceptor Block Copolymers Containing the Same Benzodithiophene Unit. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:57070-57081. [PMID: 36515660 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c16908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Organic solar cells (OSCs) based on conjugated block copolymers (CBCs) have gained considerable attention owing to their simple one-pot solution process. However, their power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) require significant improvement. Furthermore, the majority of efficient CBC-based OSCs are processed using environmentally toxic halogenated solvents. Herein, we develop a new CBC (PBDB-T-b-PY5BDT) and demonstrate efficient and stable OSCs achieved by a halogen-free solution process. We design a (D1-A1)-b-(D1-A2)-type CBC (PBDB-T-b-PY5BDT) that shares the same benzodithiophene (BDT) units in donor and acceptor blocks. This alleviates unfavorable molecular interactions between the blocks at their interfaces. The PBDB-T-b-PY5BDT-based devices exhibit a high PCE (10.55%), and they show good mechanical, thermal, and storage stabilities. Importantly, we discuss the potential of our OSCs by preparing two different control systems: one based on a binary polymer blend (PBDB-T:PY5BDT) and another based on a conjugated random copolymer (CRC, PBDB-T-r-PY5BDT). We demonstrate that the photovoltaic performance, device stability, and mechanical robustness of the CBC-based OSCs exceed those of the binary all-polymer solar cells and CRC-based OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tan Ngoc-Lan Phan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Woo Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Sung Oh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Seungjin Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Changyeon Lee
- School of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea
| | - Taek-Soo Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Sheng Li
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Bumjoon J Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
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9
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Lee JW, Seo S, Lee SW, Kim GU, Han S, Phan TNL, Lee S, Li S, Kim TS, Lee JY, Kim BJ. Intrinsically Stretchable, Highly Efficient Organic Solar Cells Enabled by Polymer Donors Featuring Hydrogen-Bonding Spacers. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2022; 34:e2207544. [PMID: 36153847 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202207544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Intrinsically stretchable organic solar cells (IS-OSCs), consisting of all stretchable layers, are attracting significant attention as a future power source for wearable electronics. However, most of the efficient active layers for OSCs are mechanically brittle due to their rigid molecular structures designed for high electrical and optical properties. Here, a series of new polymer donors (PD s, PhAmX) featuring phenyl amide (N1 ,N3 -bis((5-bromothiophen-2-yl)methyl)isophthalamide, PhAm)-based flexible spacer (FS) inducing hydrogen-bonding (H-bonding) interactions is developed. These PD s enable IS-OSCs with a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 12.73% and excellent stretchability (PCE retention of >80% of the initial value at 32% strain), representing the best performances among the reported IS-OSCs to date. The incorporation of PhAm-based FS enhances the molecular ordering of PD s as well as their interactions with a Y7 acceptor, enhancing the mechanical stretchability and electrical properties simultaneously. It is also found that in rigid OSCs, the PhAm5:Y7 blend achieves a much higher PCE of 17.5% compared to that of the reference PM6:Y7 blend. The impact of the PhAm-FS linker on the mechanical and photovoltaic properties of OSCs is thoroughly investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Woo Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Soodeok Seo
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun-Woo Lee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Geon-U Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Seungseok Han
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Tan Ngoc-Lan Phan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Seungjin Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Sheng Li
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Taek-Soo Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Yong Lee
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Bumjoon J Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
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10
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Refining acceptor aggregation in nonfullerene organic solar cells to achieve high efficiency and superior thermal stability. Sci China Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11426-022-1394-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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11
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Park JS, Kim GU, Lee S, Lee JW, Li S, Lee JY, Kim BJ. Material Design and Device Fabrication Strategies for Stretchable Organic Solar Cells. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2022; 34:e2201623. [PMID: 35765775 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202201623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic solar cells (OSCs) have greatly enhanced their commercial viability. Considering the technical standards (e.g., mechanical robustness) required for wearable electronics, which are promising application platforms for OSCs, the development of fully stretchable OSCs (f-SOSCs) should be accelerated. Here, a comprehensive overview of f-SOSCs, which are aimed to reliably operate under various forms of mechanical stress, including bending and multidirectional stretching, is provided. First, the mechanical requirements of f-SOSCs, in terms of tensile and cohesion/adhesion properties, are summarized along with the experimental methods to evaluate those properties. Second, essential studies to make each layer of f-SOSCs stretchable and efficient are discussed, emphasizing strategies to simultaneously enhance the photovoltaic and mechanical properties of the active layer, ranging from material design to fabrication control. Key improvements to the other components/layers (i.e., substrate, electrodes, and interlayers) are also covered. Lastly, considering that f-SOSC research is in its infancy, the current challenges and future prospects are explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Su Park
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Geon-U Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Seungjin Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Woo Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Sheng Li
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Yong Lee
- School of Electrical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Bumjoon J Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
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12
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Han D, Lim C, Phan TNL, Kim Y, Kim BJ. Benzotriazole-Based Non-Fused Ring Acceptors for Efficient and Thermally Stable Organic Solar Cells. Macromol Rapid Commun 2022; 43:e2200530. [PMID: 35866445 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202200530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Non-fused ring acceptors (NFRAs) have attracted significant attention for non-fullerene organic solar cells (OSCs) owing to their chemical tunability and facile synthesis. In this study, a benzotriazole-based NFRA with chlorinated end groups (Triazole-4Cl) is developed to realize highly efficient and thermally stable NFRA-based OSCs; an analogous NFRA with non-chlorinated end groups (Triazole-H) is synthesized for comparison. Triazole-4Cl film exhibits the high-order packing structure and the near-infrared absorption capability, which are advantageous in charge transport and light harvesting of the resulting OSCs. In particular, the strong crystalline behavior of Triazole-4Cl results in enhanced self-aggregation, leading to high charge carrier mobility. Owing to these properties, a PBDB-T(polymer donor):Triazole-4Cl OSC demonstrates a high short-circuit current, fill factor, and power conversion efficiency (PCE = 10.46%), outperforming a PBDB-T:Triazole-H OSC (PCE = 7.65%). In addition, the thermal stability of a PBDB-T:Triazole-4Cl OSC at an elevated temperature of 120°C exceeds that of a PBDB-T:Triazole-H OSC. This is mainly attributed to the significantly higher cold crystallization temperature of Triazole-4Cl (205.9°C). This work provides useful guidelines for the design of NFRAs to achieve efficient and thermally stable NFRA-based OSCs. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daehee Han
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Chulhee Lim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Tan Ngoc-Lan Phan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Youngkwon Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Bumjoon J Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
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13
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Ma BS, Lee JW, Park H, Kim BJ, Kim TS. Thermomechanical Behavior of Poly(3-hexylthiophene) Thin Films on the Water Surface. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:19706-19713. [PMID: 35721964 PMCID: PMC9202286 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c01451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The thermomechanical behavior of a conjugated polymer (CP) in a thin film state has rarely been studied despite the importance of understanding the polymer morphologies and optimizing the thermal processes of organic semiconductors. Moreover, the seamless integration of multilayers without mechanical failures in CP-based electronic devices is crucial for determining their operational stability. Large differences in the coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs) between the multilayers can cause serious degradation of devices under thermal stress. In this study, we measure the intrinsic thermomechanical properties of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) thin films in a pseudo-freestanding state on the water surface. The as-cast P3HT thin films exhibited a large thermal shrinkage (-1001 ppm K-1) during heating on the water surface. Morphological analyses revealed that the thermal shrinkage of the polymer films was caused by the rearrangement of the polymer chain networks accompanied by crystallization, thus indicating that preheating the polymer films is essential for estimating their intrinsic CTE values. Moreover, the rigidity of the substrate significantly influences the thermomechanical behavior of the polymer films. The polymer films that were preheated on the glass substrate showed nonlinear thermal expansion due to the substrate constraint inhibiting sufficient relaxation of the polymer chains. In comparison, a linear expansion behavior is observed after preheating the films on the water surface, exhibiting a consistent CTE value (185 ppm K-1) regardless of the number of thermal strain measurements. Thus, this work provides a direct method for measuring in-plane CTE values and an in-depth understanding of the thermomechanical behaviors of CP thin films to design thermomechanically reliable organic semiconductors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boo Soo Ma
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced
Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Woo Lee
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeonjung Park
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Bumjoon J. Kim
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Taek-Soo Kim
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced
Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
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14
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Zheng B, Yue Y, Ni J, Sun R, Min J, Wang J, Jiang L, Huo L. An end-capped strategy for crystalline polymer donor to improve the photovoltaic performance of non-fullerene solar cells. Sci China Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11426-021-1205-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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