Structural Design of Benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-Based 2D Conjugated Polymers with Bithienyl and Terthienyl Substituents toward Photovoltaic Applications

Photoinduced charge transfer in push-pull pyrazoline-based chromophores - Relationship between molecular structure and photophysical, photovoltaic properties

The manuscript describes the effect of molecular structure on the photophysical and photovoltaic properties of the pyrazoline-based donor-branched-π-system-acceptor compounds decorated with two end groups: phenyl or thiophene. Although the absorption to the first singlet excited state is strongly allowed, the emission quantum yield is low in all studied solvents. This behaviour was explained by the existence of two non-radiative deactivation channels: the back electron transfer process, especially operated in polar solvents, and internal conversion realized as the rotation of flexible rotors (cyano, keto phenyl or thiophene). The feasibility of the photoinduced electron transfer process was corroborated by electrochemical, spectroelectrochemical measurements as well as DFT calculations. DFT calculations also support the existence of multiple conformations in the ground state, which differ from one another in terms of charge distribution and the values of ground state dipole moment. Finally, the mechanism of the singlet excited state deactivation of the studied compounds was determined by ultrafast pump-probe measurements. Our studies revealed that charge/electron transfer process may undergo over carbonyl bridge, included in branched π-system. Moreover, the thiophene decorated pyrazoline is characterized by a better photovoltaic power conversion efficiency, while the phenyl-ended pyrazoline can be applied as a viscosity sensor.

Fluorination Effect for Highly Conjugated Alternating Copolymers Involving Thienylenevinylene-Thiophene-Flanked Benzodithiophene and Benzothiadiazole Subunits in Photovoltaic Application

Two two-dimensional (2D) donor-acceptor (D-A) type conjugated polymers (CPs), namely, PBDT-TVT-BT and PBDT-TVT-FBT, in which two ((E)-(4,5-didecylthien-2-yl)vinyl)- 5-thien-2-yl (TVT) side chains were introduced into 4,8-position of benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene (BDT) to synthesize the highly conjugated electron-donating building block BDT-TVT, and benzothiadiazole (BT) and/or 5,6-difluoro-BT as electron-accepting unit, were designed to systematically ascertain the impact of fluorination on thermal stability, optoelectronic property, and photovoltaic performance. Both resultant copolymers exhibited the lower bandgap (1.60 ~ 1.69 eV) and deeper highest occupied molecular orbital energy level (EHOMO, -5.17 ~ -5.37 eV). It was found that the narrowed absorption, deepened EHOMO and weakened aggregation in solid film but had insignificant influence on thermal stability after fluorination in PBDT-TVT-FBT. Accordingly, a PBDT-TVT-FBT-based device yielded 16% increased power conversion efficiency (PCE) from 4.50% to 5.22%, benefited from synergistically elevated VOC, JSC, and FF, which was mainly originated from deepened EHOMO, increased μh, μe, and more balanced μh/μe ratio, higher exciton dissociation probability and improved microstructural morphology of the photoactive layer as a result of incorporating fluorine into the polymer backbone.

Red-shifted delayed fluorescence at the expense of photoluminescence quantum efficiency - an intramolecular charge-transfer molecule based on a benzodithiophene-4,8-dione acceptor

Employing the thiophene based quinone, benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene-4,8-dione, as the electron-accepting moiety alongside N-phenylcarbazole donors to produce a donor-π-acceptor-π-donor (D-π-A-π-D) molecule has yielded a new red emitter displaying delayed fluorescence. This new molecule shows strongly (over 100 nm) red-shifted emission when compared to an anthraquinone based analogue. Cyclic voltammetry complemented by computational insights prove that this red-shift is due to the significantly stronger electron-accepting ability of the thiophene quinone compared to anthraquinone. Photophysical and computational studies of this molecule have revealed that while the presence of the thiophene containing acceptor facilitates rapid intersystem crossing which is comparable to anthraquinone analogues, the reverse intersystem crossing rate is slow and non-radiative decay is rapid which we can attribute to low-lying locally excited states. This limits the total photoluminescence quantum efficiency to less than 10% in both solution and the solid state. These results provide a useful example of how very minor structural variations can have a defining impact on the photophysical properties of new molecular materials.

Effect of Flank Rotation on the Photovoltaic Properties of Dithieno[2,3-d:2',3'-d']benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene-Based Narrow Band Gap Copolymers

Side chain engineering has been an effective approach to modulate the solution processability, optoelectronic properties and miscibility of conjugated polymers (CPs) for organic/polymeric photovoltaic cells (PVCs). As compared with the most commonly used method of introducing alkyl chains, the employment of alkyl-substituted aryl flanks would provide two-dimensional (2-D) CPs having solution processability alongside additional merits like deepened highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy levels, increased absorption coefficient and charger transporting, etc. In this paper, the triple C≡C bond was used as conjugated linker to decrease the steric hindrance between the flanks of 4,5-didecylthien-2-yl (T) and dithieno[2,3-d:2',3'-d']benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene (DTBDT) core. In addition, an alternating CP derived from 4,5-didecylthien-2-yl-ethynyl (TE) flanked DTBDT, and 4,9-bis(4-octylthien-2-yl) naphtho[1,2-c:5,6-c']bis[1,2,5]thiadiazole (DTNT), named as PDTBDT-TE-DTNT, was synthesized and characterized. As compared with the controlled PDTBDT-T-DTNT, which was derived from 4,5-didecylthien-2-yl flanked DTBDT and DTNT, the results for exciton dissociation probability, density functional theory (DFT), time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) measurements, etc., revealed that the lower steric hindrance between TE and DTBDT might lead to the easier rotation of the TE flanks, thus contributing to the decrease of the exciton lifetime and dissociation probability, finally suppressing the short-circuit current density (JSC), etc., of the photovoltaic devices from PDTBDT-TE-DTNT.

Controlling destructive quantum interference in tunneling junctions comprising self-assembled monolayers via bond topology and functional groups

Quantum interference effects (QI) are of interest in nano-scale devices based on molecular tunneling junctions because they can affect conductance exponentially through minor structural changes. However, their utilization requires the prediction and deterministic control over the position and magnitude of QI features, which remains a significant challenge. In this context, we designed and synthesized three benzodithiophenes based molecular wires; one linearly-conjugated, one cross-conjugated and one cross-conjugated quinone. Using eutectic Ga-In (EGaIn) and CP-AFM, we compared them to a well-known anthraquinone in molecular junctions comprising self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). By combining density functional theory and transition voltage spectroscopy, we show that the presence of an interference feature and its position can be controlled independently by manipulating bond topology and electronegativity. This is the first study to separate these two parameters experimentally, demonstrating that the conductance of a tunneling junction depends on the position and depth of a QI feature, both of which can be controlled synthetically.

A study of the thermoelectric properties of benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene–based donor–acceptor conjugated polymers

Three benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene (BDT)-based donor–acceptor (D–A) conjugated polymers with different side chains were designed, synthesized, and investigated as organic thermoelectric materials.

The integrated adjustment of chlorine substitution and two-dimensional side chain of low band gap polymers in organic solar cells

The chlorination and side-chain extension of benzothiadiazole derivatives can finely manipulate the open-circuit voltage in their solar cells.

Insights into the Morphological Instability of Bulk Heterojunction PTB7-Th/PCBM Solar Cells upon High-Temperature Aging

The impact of the morphological stability of the donor/acceptor mixture under thermal stress on the photovoltaic properties of bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells based on the poly[4,8-bis(5-(2-ethylhexyl)thiophen-2-yl)benzo[1,2-b;4,5-b']-dithiophene-2,6-diyl-alt-(4-(2-ethylhexyl)-3-fluorothieno[3,4-b]-thiophene)-2-carboxylate-2,6-diyl]/phenyl-C₆₁-butyric acid methyl ester (PTB7-Th/PC₆₁BM) blend is extensively investigated. Both optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy micrographs show that long-term high-temperature aging stimulates the formation of microscale clusters, the size of which, however, is about 1 order of magnitude smaller than those observed in thermally annealed poly(3-hexylthiophene)/PC₆₁BM composite film. The multilength-scale evolution of the morphology of PTB7-Th/PC₆₁BM film from the scattering profiles of grazing incidence small-angle and wide-angle X-ray scattering indicates the PC₆₁BM molecules spatially confine the self-organization of polymer chains into large domains during cast drying and upon thermal activation. Moreover, some PC₆₁BM molecules accumulate into ∼30-40 nm clusters, the number of which increases with heating time. Therefore, the hole mobility in the active layer decays much more rapidly than the electron mobility, leading to unbalanced charge transport and degraded cell performance. Importantly, the three-component blend that is formed by replacing a small amount of PC₆₁BM in the active layer with the bis-adduct of PC₆₁BM (bis-PC₆₁BM) exhibits robust morphology against thermal stress. Accordingly, the PTB7-Th/PC₆₁BM:bis-PC₆₁BM (8 wt %) device has an extremely stable power conversion efficiency.

Effect of alkylthiophene spacers and fluorine on the optoelectronic properties of 5,10-bis(dialkylthien-2-yl)dithieno[2,3-d:2′,3′-d′]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-alt-benzothiadiazole derivative copolymers

The effect of inclusion of alkylthiophene and fluorine on the optoelectronic properties of copolymers from dithienobenzodithiophene and benzothiadiazole derivatives is systematically investigated.

Synthesis and Characterization of Two-Dimensional Conjugated Polymers Incorporating Electron-Deficient Moieties for Application in Organic Photovoltaics

A series of novel p-type conjugated copolymers, PTTVBDT, PTTVBDT-TPD, and PTTVBDT-DPP, cooperating benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene (BDT) and terthiophene-vinylene (TTV) units with/without thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione (TPD) or pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-1,4-dione (DPP) via Stille polymerization were synthesized and characterized. Copolymer PTTVBDT shows a low-lying HOMO energy level and ordered molecular-packing behavior. Furthermore, two terpolymers, PTTVBDT-TPD and PTTVBDT-DPP, display stronger absorption ability, alower-lying HOMO energy level, and preferred molecular orientation, due to the replacement TTV-monomer units with electron-deficient groups. Furthermore, bulk-heterojunction organic solar cells were fabricated using blends of the PTTVBDT-TPD, and PC₆₁BM gave the best power conversion efficiency of 5.01% under the illumination of AM 1.5G, 100 mW·cm⁻²; the short circuit current (J_sc) was 11.65 mA·cm⁻² which displayed a 43.8% improvement in comparison with the PTTVBDT/PC₆₁BM device. These results demonstrate a valid strategy combining the two-dimensional molecular structure with random copolymerization strikes promising conjugated polymers to achieve highly efficient organic photovoltaics.

Topological Control of Columnar Stacking Made of Liquid-Crystalline Thiophene-Fused Metallonaphthalocyanines

The spontaneous organization of two-dimensional polyaromatic molecules into well-defined nanostructures through noncovalent interactions is important in the development of organic-based electronic and optoelectronic devices. Two regioisomers of thiophene-fused zinc naphthalocyanines ZnTNcendo and ZnTNcexo have been designed and synthesized to obtain photo- and electroactive liquid crystalline materials. Both compounds exhibited liquid crystalline behavior over a wide temperature range through intermolecular π-π interactions and local phase segregation between the aromatic cores and peripheral side chains. The structural differences between ZnTNcendo and ZnTNcexo affected the stacking mode in self-assembled columns, as well as symmetry of the two-dimensional rectangular columnar lattice. The columnar structure in liquid crystalline phase exhibited an ambipolar charge-transport behavior.

Modified structure of two-dimensional polythiophene derivatives by incorporating electron-deficient units into terthiophene-vinylene conjugated side chains and the polymer backbone: synthesis, optoelectronic and self-assembly properties, and photovoltaic application

Molecular engineering on the conjugated side chains of two-dimensional (2D) conjugated polymers was conducted and its effect on the optical, electronic, self-assembly and photovoltaic properties was investigated.

Impact of structure and homo-coupling of the central donor unit of small molecule organic semiconductors on solar cell performance

Next to the molecular structure, homo-coupling of the central donor moiety has a profound influence on organic solar cell efficiency.

Biaxially extended thiophene–isoindigo donor–acceptor conjugated polymers for high-performance flexible field-effect transistors

Biaxially-extended thiophene–isoindigo donor–acceptor conjugated polymers were explored for high-performance flexible field-effect transistors. A charge carrier mobility of 1.0 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ was achieved under ambient atmosphere with stable electrical properties.

A comparative study of the effect of fluorine substitution on the photovoltaic performance of benzothiadiazole-based copolymers

Fluorination on the acceptor unit is effective to lower both the HOMO and LUMO energy level of the copolymer.

Effect of Fluorine Substitution on Photovoltaic Properties of Alkoxyphenyl Substituted Benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene-Based Small Molecules

Two new small molecules, C3T-BDTP and C3T-BDTP-F with alkoxyphenyl-substituted benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene (BDT) and meta-fluorinated-alkoxyphenyl-substituted BDT as the central donor blocks, respectively, have been synthesized and used as donor materials in organic solar cells (OSCs). With the addition of 0.4% v/v 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO), the blend of C3T-BDTP-F/PC71BM showed a higher hole mobility of 8.67 × 10(-4) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) compared to that of the blend of C3T-BDTP/PC71BM. Two types of interlayers, zirconium acetylacetonate (ZrAcac) and perylene diimide (PDI) derivatives (PDINO and PDIN), were used to further optimize the performance of OSCs. With a device structure of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/donor:PC71BM/PDIN/Al, the OSCs based on C3T-BDTP delivered a satisfying power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 5.27% with an open circuit voltage (V(oc)) of 0.91 V, whereas the devices based on C3T-BDTP-F showed an enhanced PCE of 5.42% with a higher V(oc) of 0.97 V.

Unprecedented side reactions in Stille coupling: desired ones for Stille polycondensation

Unprecedented side reactions in Stille coupling: direct stannylation on the α-H of thiophene and stannylation of arylbromides via trialkylstanne halide.