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Liao X, Liu M, Pei H, Zhu P, Xia X, Chen Z, Zhang Y, Wu Z, Cui Y, Xu G, Gao M, Ye L, Ma R, Liu T, Lu X, Zhu H, Chen Y. Regulating Crystallinity Mismatch Between Donor and Acceptor to Improve Exciton/Charge Transport in Efficient Organic Solar Cells. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202318595. [PMID: 38224211 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202318595] [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: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Achieving a more balanced charge transport by morphological control is crucial in reducing bimolecular and trap-assisted recombination and enhancing the critical parameters for efficient organic solar cells (OSCs). Hence, a facile strategy is proposed to reduce the crystallinity difference between donor and acceptor by incorporating a novel multifunctional liquid crystal small molecule (LCSM) BDTPF4-C6 into the binary blend. BDTPF4-C6 is the first LCSM based on a tetrafluorobenzene unit and features a low liquid crystal phase transition temperature and strong self-assembly ability, conducive to regulating the active layer morphology. When BDTPF4-C6 is introduced as a guest molecule into the PM6 : Y6 binary, it exhibits better compatibility with the donor PM6 and primarily resides within the PM6 phase because of the similarity-intermiscibility principle. Moreover, systematic studies revealed that BDTPF4-C6 could be used as a seeding agent for PM6 to enhance its crystallinity, thereby forming a more balanced and favourable charge transport with suppressed charge recombination. Intriguingly, dual Förster resonance energy transfer was observed between the guest molecule and the host donor and acceptor, resulting in an improved current density. This study demonstrates a facile approach to balance the charge mobilities and offers new insights into boosting the efficiency of single-junction OSCs beyond 20 %.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xunfan Liao
- Key Laboratory of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Mingtao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Hongqiao Pei
- Key Laboratory of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Peipei Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Xinxin Xia
- Department of Physics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Zeng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, Key Laboratory of Excited State Materials of Zhejiang Province, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310027, China
| | - Yihan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Zhongyuan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Yongjie Cui
- Key Laboratory of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Guodong Xu
- Key Laboratory of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Mengyuan Gao
- School of Materials Science & Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Long Ye
- School of Materials Science & Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Ruijie Ma
- Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tao Liu
- Guangxi Key Lab of Processing for Nonferrous Metals and Featured Materials, Key Lab of New Processing Technology for Nonferrous Metals and Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Resources, Environments and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Xinhui Lu
- Department of Physics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Haiming Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, Key Laboratory of Excited State Materials of Zhejiang Province, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310027, China
| | - Yiwang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, China
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Dominguez-Meijide A, Vasili E, Outeiro TF. Pharmacological Modulators of Tau Aggregation and Spreading. Brain Sci 2020; 10:E858. [PMID: 33203009 PMCID: PMC7696562 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10110858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the deposition of aggregates composed of abnormal tau protein in the brain. Additionally, misfolded forms of tau can propagate from cell to cell and throughout the brain. This process is thought to lead to the templated misfolding of the native forms of tau, and thereby, to the formation of newer toxic aggregates, thereby propagating the disease. Therefore, modulation of the processes that lead to tau aggregation and spreading is of utmost importance in the fight against tauopathies. In recent years, several molecules have been developed for the modulation of tau aggregation and spreading. In this review, we discuss the processes of tau aggregation and spreading and highlight selected chemicals developed for the modulation of these processes, their usefulness, and putative mechanisms of action. Ultimately, a stronger understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved, and the properties of the substances developed to modulate them, will lead to the development of safer and better strategies for the treatment of tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Dominguez-Meijide
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37073 Goettingen, Germany; (A.D.-M.); (E.V.)
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy and Experimental Neurology, Dept. of Morphological Sciences, CIMUS, IDIS, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Eftychia Vasili
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37073 Goettingen, Germany; (A.D.-M.); (E.V.)
| | - Tiago Fleming Outeiro
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37073 Goettingen, Germany; (A.D.-M.); (E.V.)
- Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, 37075 Goettingen, Germany
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Framlington Place, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
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3
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Abstract
Phosphangulene (1) is a hexacyclic triarylphosphine with a distinctive conical shape and other features that allow the compound to be viewed from diverse perspectives and to be embraced by chemists from different parts of the field as a molecule worthy of special attention. In recent work, phosphangulene and its derivatives have proven to be effective tools for probing general principles that govern molecular organization in solids. The phosphangulene family is particularly well-suited for these studies because systematic structural changes in the compounds are easy to introduce. In crystals of phosphangulene itself, molecules are stacked efficiently like hats, giving rise to an R3m structure that is polar and pyroelectric. Simple conversion of the compound into phosphangulene oxide (7a) or other chalcogenides blocks effective stacking and forces crystallization to produce alternative structures that have many suboptimal intermolecular interactions and vary little in energy as their geometries are altered. This leads to high levels of polymorphism, and phosphangulene oxide (7a) belongs to the elite set of compounds known to exist in five or more forms characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. For similar reasons, phosphangulene chalcogenides form crystals with complex unit cells in which multiple inequivalent molecules are needed to optimize packing, and the compounds are also predisposed to form solvates and mixed crystals containing other molecules. For example, crystallization of a 1:1 mixture of phosphangulene and oxide 7a yielded needles composed of pure phosphangulene along with crystals of the oxide containing substantial amounts of phosphangulene. Phosphangulene has one known polymorph, and its crystallization rejects the oxide. In contrast, the oxide is highly polymorphic, and its crystallization is prone to errors in which molecules in the lattice are replaced by other compounds. Packing in crystals of the oxide appears to be so ineffective that the orientation and even the identity of the molecular components can be varied without imposing severe energetic penalties.Because substituted members of the phosphangulene family have awkward curved shapes that cannot be packed efficiently, they have emerged as highly effective partners for cocrystallizing fullerenes and for using concave-convex interactions to control how fullerenes can be organized in materials. This can be achieved without eliminating fullerene-fullerene contacts of the type needed to ensure conductivity. In addition, phosphangulene has created unlimited opportunities for making complex structures with large curved aromatic surfaces based on a new strategy in which the central atom of phosphorus is used to form covalent bonds with other elements or to introduce coordinative interactions with metals. In these ways, recent work has put phosphangulene in the spotlight as a compound of unusually broad interest and shown that it can appropriately be called a molecule for all chemists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Heskia
- Département de Chimie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec H2V0B3, Canada
| | - Thierry Maris
- Département de Chimie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec H2V0B3, Canada
| | - James D. Wuest
- Département de Chimie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec H2V0B3, Canada
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4
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Brunner PLM, Masse JP, L’Espérance G, Wuest JD. Imaging layers in thin-film molecular devices by transmission electron microscopy, using milling by focused ion beams and deposition on NaCl and Si. CAN J CHEM 2020. [DOI: 10.1139/cjc-2020-0102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The performance of molecule-based thin-film devices such as organic light-emitting diodes, photovoltaic cells, and thin-film transistors depends on the electronic properties of the individual molecular components, as well as on their association to form complex morphologies. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) can be used to image the morphologies and help reveal how the devices work and can be improved. We have examined the suitability of various ways to prepare samples of thin molecular films for imaging by TEM. Specifically, we have used focused ion beams to mill cross sections of complete devices that have been glued together with epoxy adhesives. In addition, thin films of the type used as active layers in molecule-based devices can be deposited on disks of NaCl, which can then be dissolved in water to release free-standing films that can be imaged by TEM, without loss of nanostructural details. Films of this type can also be deposited on Si wafers, which can then be fractured to expose sections of film that overhang edges of fragments and can be imaged conveniently by TEM. This allows TEM to be used as a quick method for screening samples and monitoring the purification of active materials.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jean-Philippe Masse
- Centre de caractérisation microscopique des matériaux (CM)2, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3A7, Canada
| | - Gilles L’Espérance
- Centre de caractérisation microscopique des matériaux (CM)2, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3A7, Canada
| | - James D. Wuest
- Département de chimie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
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5
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Tintori F, Laventure A, Welch GC. Additive induced crystallization of a twisted perylene diimide dimer within a polymer matrix. SOFT MATTER 2019; 15:5138-5146. [PMID: 31190040 DOI: 10.1039/c9sm00716d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The controlled aggregation of organic π-conjugated molecular semiconductors within a host material (often a polymer) is important for obtaining appropriate organic film morphologies and mechanical properties for optoelectronic applications. In this study, we demonstrate how we have challenged the twisting effect in perylene diimide dimers, which is known to hinder their aggregation. Indeed, a twisted N-annulated perylene diimide dimer (tPDI2N-EH) can be induced to form crystalline aggregates within a host poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) polymer matrix using solution processing. The size of the aggregates can be controlled using varying amounts of the common processing solvent additive 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO) during film formation, by changing the concentration of the molecule within the polymer film, and by adjusting the film drying time. A combination of UV-visible spectroscopy, fluorescence microscopy, cross-polarized light microscopy, and atomic force microscopy were used to characterize the organic films.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Tintori
- Department of Chemistry, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
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Yu R, Yao H, Chen Z, Xin J, Hong L, Xu Y, Zu Y, Ma W, Hou J. Enhanced π-π Interactions of Nonfullerene Acceptors by Volatilizable Solid Additives in Efficient Polymer Solar Cells. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2019; 31:e1900477. [PMID: 30908759 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201900477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Revised: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Fine-tuning of the nanoscale morphologies of the active layers in polymer solar cells (PSCs) through various techniques plays a vital role in improving the photovoltaic performance. However, for emerging nonfullerene (NF) PSCs, the morphology optimization of the active-layer films empirically follows the methods originally developed in fullerene-based blends and lacks systematic studies. In this work, two solid additives with different volatilities, SA-4 and SA-7, are applied to investigate their influence on the morphologies and photovoltaic performances of NF-PSCs. Although both solid additives effectively promote the molecular packing of the NF acceptors, due to the higher volatility of SA-4, the devices processed with SA-4 exhibit a power conversion efficiency of 13.5%, higher than that of the control devices, and the devices processed with SA-7 exhibit poor performances. Through a series of detailed morphological analyses, it is found that the volatilization of SA-4 after thermal annealing is beneficial for the self-assembly packing of acceptors, while the residuals due to the incomplete volatilization of SA-7 have a negative effect on the film morphology. The results delineate the feasibility of applying volatilizable solid additives and provide deeper insights into the working mechanism, establishing guidelines for further material design of solid additives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runnan Yu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Huifeng Yao
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Zhenyu Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Jingmin Xin
- State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Ling Hong
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ye Xu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yunfei Zu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Wei Ma
- State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Jianhui Hou
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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7
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Dang J, Josey DS, Dang MT, Bender TP. Phenoxy-(Chloro) n -Boron Subnaphthalocyanines: Alloyed Mixture, Electron-Accepting Functionality, and Enhanced Solubility for Bulk Heterojunction Organic Photovoltaics. ACS OMEGA 2018; 3:2093-2103. [PMID: 31458517 PMCID: PMC6641232 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.7b01892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The first set of phenoxy BsubNc compounds, PhO-Cl n BsubNc and F5-Cl n BsubNc, was synthesized through an axial displacement reaction of Cl-Cl n BsubNc with phenol and pentafluorophenol (respectively). Like their precursor, the products were found to be an alloyed mixture of phenoxylated Cl n BsubNcs with random positioning in the solid state yet consistent frequency of bay position chlorination. The average bay position chlorine occupancy was determined to be 0.99 through single crystal diffraction of PhO-Cl n BsubNc. Although the phenoxylation of Cl-Cl n BsubNc did not influence the chromophore photophysical properties, the electrochemical behavior was found to be more stable. Phenoxylation yielded differences in organic photovoltaic (OPV) device metrics. Specifically, a significant increase in open circuit voltage (V OC) was observed, ultimately exceeding 1.0 V when phenoxylated Cl n BsubNcs were paired with alpha-sexithiophene (α-6T) in planar heterojunction OPVs. Phenoxylation enabled the first example of BsubNcs incorporated into polymer-based bulk heterojunction (BHJ) OPVs through enhanced solubility. Phenoxylated Cl n BsubNcs, when paired with poly-3-hexylthiophene, also showed high V OC in BHJ OPVs with broad spectral absorption up to 760 nm. In the BHJ case, simple phenoxy was shown to be a better axial substituent compared to pentafluorophenoxy. This study represents the first example of using Cl n BsubNcs with nonchlorine axial substituents in OPVs and demonstrates that phenoxylation has a significant impact on device metrics while enhancing solubility to enable incorporation of Cl n BsubNcs into BHJ OPVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy
D. Dang
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, 200 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E5, Canada
| | - David S. Josey
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, 200 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E5, Canada
| | - Minh Trung Dang
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, 200 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E5, Canada
| | - Timothy P. Bender
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, 200 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E5, Canada
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, University
of Toronto, 184 College
Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E4, Canada
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8
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Tan L, Li P, Zhang Q, Izquierdo R, Chaker M, Ma D. Toward Enhancing Solar Cell Performance: An Effective and "Green" Additive. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2018; 10:6498-6504. [PMID: 29401370 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b17495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Performance of bulk heterojunction polymer solar cells (PSCs) highly relies on the morphology of the photoactive layer involving conjugated polymers and fullerene derivatives as donors and acceptors, respectively. Herein, butylamine was found to be able to optimize the morphology of the donor/acceptor (D/A) film composed of a blend of poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). Compared to the commonly used alkane dithiols and halogenated additives with high boiling points, butylamine has a much lower boiling point between 77 and 79 °C, and it is also much "greener". A specific interaction between butylamine and PCBM was demonstrated to account for the morphology improvement. Essentially, butylamine can selectively dissolve PCBM in the P3HT:PCBM blend and facilitate the diffusion of PCBM in the film fabrication processes. Atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy investigations confirmed the formation of the P3HT-enriched top surface and the abundance of PCBM at the bottom side, i.e., the formation of vertical phase segregation, as a consequence of the specific PCBM-butylamine interaction. The D/A film with inhomogeneously distributed D and A components in the vertical film direction, with more P3HT at the hole extraction side and more PCBM at the electron extraction side, enables more efficient charge extraction in the D/A film, reflected by the largely enhanced fill factor. The power conversion efficiency of devices reached 4.03 and 4.61%, respectively, depending on the thickness of the D/A film, and these are among the best values reported for P3HT:PCBM-based devices. As compared to the devices fabricated without the introduction of butylamine under otherwise the same processing conditions, they represented 19.6 and 21.6% improvement in the efficiency, respectively. The discovery of butylamine as a new, effective additive in enhancing the performance of PSCs strongly suggests that the differential affinity of additives toward donors and acceptors likely plays a more important role in morphology optimization than their boiling point, different from what was reported previously. The finding provides useful information for realizing large-area PSC fabrication, where a "greener" additive is always preferred.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Tan
- Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) , 1650 Boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, Quebec J3X 1S2, Canada
| | - Pandeng Li
- Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) , 1650 Boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, Quebec J3X 1S2, Canada
| | - Qingzhe Zhang
- Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) , 1650 Boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, Quebec J3X 1S2, Canada
| | - Ricardo Izquierdo
- Department of Electrical Engineering, École de technologie supérieure, Université du Quebec 1100 , rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montreal, Quebec H3C 1K3, Canada
| | - Mohamed Chaker
- Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) , 1650 Boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, Quebec J3X 1S2, Canada
| | - Dongling Ma
- Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) , 1650 Boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, Quebec J3X 1S2, Canada
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9
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Yan H, Ye S, Seferos DS. Unusual Performance Increase in Polymer Solar Cells by Cooling a Hot Donor/Acceptor Ink in a Good Solvent. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2018; 10:979-984. [PMID: 29261285 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b15113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Post processing is widely used to improve the photovoltaic performance of organic solar cells. However, high-temperature and long-time release of halogenated solvents are incompatible with future printing manufacturing. Inspired by the dependence of donor/acceptor optical properties on "ink" temperature, we designed a study to test its effect on photovoltaic performance. We utilize the newly reported nonfullerene ink, poly[(2,6-(4,8-bis(5-(2-ethylhexyl)thiophen-2-yl)-benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene))-alt-(5,5-(1',3'-di-2-thienyl-5',7'-bis(2-ethylhexyl)benzo[1',2'-c:4',5'-c']dithiophene-4,8-dione))]/3,9-bis(2-methylene-(3-(1,1-dicyanomethylene)-indanone))-5,5,11,11-tetrakis(4-hexylphenyl)-dithieno[2,3-d:2',3'-d']-s-indaceno[1,2-b:5,6-b']dithiophene as a model system, and find that device performance can be improved by heating and then cooling the ink in a specific temperature range. Careful analysis reveals that device improvement comes from the optimized phase miscibility and has a negligible effect on charge-transport properties. We further propose that heating and cooling the ink optimizes the phase formation time, phase distribution, and interphase diffusion in the blend films. Finally, the general nature of this process is demonstrated using a more typical polymer/fullerene system. These findings are important because this effect could potentially lead to progress in organic solar cell manufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Yan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto , 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
- State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, College of Material Science and Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University , Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Shuyang Ye
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto , 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Dwight S Seferos
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto , 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
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10
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Richter LJ, DeLongchamp DM, Amassian A. Morphology Development in Solution-Processed Functional Organic Blend Films: An In Situ Viewpoint. Chem Rev 2017; 117:6332-6366. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lee J. Richter
- Material
Science and Engineering Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States
| | - Dean M. DeLongchamp
- Material
Science and Engineering Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States
| | - Aram Amassian
- KAUST
Solar Center (KSC) and Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
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11
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Feng H, Li M, Ni W, Kan B, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Zhang H, Wan X, Chen Y. A series of dithienobenzodithiophene based small molecules for highly efficient organic solar cells. Sci China Chem 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s11426-016-0461-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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12
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Tan LL, Zhu Y, Long H, Jin Y, Zhang W, Yang YW. Pillar[n]arene-based supramolecular organic frameworks with high hydrocarbon storage and selectivity. Chem Commun (Camb) 2017; 53:6409-6412. [DOI: 10.1039/c7cc03638h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The high hydrocarbon storage capacity and adsorption selectivity of two low-density, solution-processable pillar[n]arene-based SOFs have been investigated for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Li Tan
- International Joint Research Laboratory of Nano-Micro Architecture Chemistry (NMAC)
- College of Chemistry
- Jilin University
- Changchun 130012
- P. R. China
| | - Youlong Zhu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
- University of Colorado
- Boulder
- USA
| | - Hai Long
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory
- Golden
- USA
| | - Yinghua Jin
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
- University of Colorado
- Boulder
- USA
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
- University of Colorado
- Boulder
- USA
| | - Ying-Wei Yang
- International Joint Research Laboratory of Nano-Micro Architecture Chemistry (NMAC)
- College of Chemistry
- Jilin University
- Changchun 130012
- P. R. China
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13
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Lee C, Li Y, Lee W, Lee Y, Choi J, Kim T, Wang C, Gomez ED, Woo HY, Kim BJ. Correlation between Phase-Separated Domain Sizes of Active Layer and Photovoltaic Performances in All-Polymer Solar Cells. Macromolecules 2016. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.6b01069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Changyeon Lee
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 306-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Yuxiang Li
- Department
of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 136-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Wonho Lee
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 306-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Youngmin Lee
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Joonhyeong Choi
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 306-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Taesu Kim
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 306-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Cheng Wang
- Advanced
Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Enrique D. Gomez
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Han Young Woo
- Department
of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 136-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Bumjoon J. Kim
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 306-701, Republic of Korea
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14
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Suzuki M, Kotyk JFK, Khan SI, Rubin Y. Directing the Crystallization of Dehydro[24]annulenes into Supramolecular Nanotubular Scaffolds. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:5939-56. [PMID: 27088651 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b01939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The self-assembly of a series of dehydro[24]annulene derivatives into columnar stacks has been examined for its latent ability to form π-conjugated carbon-rich nanotubular structures through topochemical polymerizations. We have studied the parameters affecting self-assembly, including the nature of the substituent and crystallization conditions, using 10 different dehydro[24]annulene derivatives. In particular, hydrogen-bonding interactions through carbamate groups were found to be especially useful at directing the formation of nanotubular supramolecular assemblies. We have also evaluated the electronic coupling between neighboring dehydroannulene molecules within these supramolecular assemblies. Density functional calculations on the stacked supramolecular nanotube assemblies show that transfer integrals vary considerably between the three columnar assemblies, ranging from moderate to high (59-98 meV for the highest occupied molecular orbitals, 63-97 meV for the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals), depending on the local molecular topology. In addition, the dehydro[24]annulene derivatives afforded distinct architectures in the crystal, including nanochannel arrays, sheets with solvent-filled pores, and lamellae. This work is an essential step toward a controlled formation of covalently linked carbon-rich nanostructures generated from molecular precursors with a latent diacetylene reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsuharu Suzuki
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles , 607 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Juliet F Khosrowabadi Kotyk
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles , 607 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Saeed I Khan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles , 607 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Yves Rubin
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles , 607 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
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15
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Suzuki M, Yamaguchi Y, Takahashi K, Takahira K, Koganezawa T, Masuo S, Nakayama KI, Yamada H. Photoprecursor Approach Enables Preparation of Well-Performing Bulk-Heterojunction Layers Comprising a Highly Aggregating Molecular Semiconductor. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2016; 8:8644-8651. [PMID: 26984761 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b00345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Active-layer morphology critically affects the performance of organic photovoltaic cells, and thus its optimization is a key toward the achievement of high-efficiency devices. However, the optimization of active-layer morphology is sometimes challenging because of the intrinsic properties of materials such as strong self-aggregating nature or low miscibility. This study postulates that the "photoprecursor approach" can serve as an effective means to prepare well-performing bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) layers containing highly aggregating molecular semiconductors. In the photoprecursor approach, a photoreactive precursor compound is solution-deposited and then converted in situ to a semiconducting material. This study employs 2,6-di(2-thienyl)anthracene (DTA) and [6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester as p- and n-type materials, respectively, in which DTA is generated by the photoprecursor approach from the corresponding α-diketone-type derivative DTADK. When only chloroform is used as a cast solvent, the photovoltaic performance of the resulting BHJ films is severely limited because of unfavorable film morphology. The addition of a high-boiling-point cosolvent, o-dichlorobenzene (o-DCB), to the cast solution leads to significant improvement such that the resulting active layers afford up to approximately 5 times higher power conversion efficiencies. The film structure is investigated by two-dimensional grazing-incident wide-angle X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and fluorescence microspectroscopy to demonstrate that the use of o-DCB leads to improvement in film crystallinity and increase in charge-carrier generation efficiency. The change in film structure is assumed to originate from dynamic molecular motion enabled by the existence of solvent during the in situ photoreaction. The unique features of the photoprecursor approach will be beneficial in extending the material and processing scopes for the development of organic thin-film devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsuharu Suzuki
- Graduate School of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology , 8916-5 Takayama-cho, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan
| | - Yuji Yamaguchi
- Department of Organic Device Engineering, Yamagata University , 4-3-16 Jonan, Yonezawa, Yamagata 992-8510, Japan
| | - Kohei Takahashi
- Department of Organic Device Engineering, Yamagata University , 4-3-16 Jonan, Yonezawa, Yamagata 992-8510, Japan
| | - Katsuya Takahira
- Department of Organic Device Engineering, Yamagata University , 4-3-16 Jonan, Yonezawa, Yamagata 992-8510, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Koganezawa
- Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute , 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo 679-5198, Japan
| | - Sadahiro Masuo
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Environment, Kwansei Gakuin University , 2-1 Gakuen, Sanda, Hyogo 669-1337, Japan
| | - Ken-ichi Nakayama
- Department of Organic Device Engineering, Yamagata University , 4-3-16 Jonan, Yonezawa, Yamagata 992-8510, Japan
| | - Hiroko Yamada
- Graduate School of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology , 8916-5 Takayama-cho, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan
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16
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Namepetra A, Kitching E, Eftaiha AF, Hill IG, Welch GC. Understanding the morphology of solution processed fullerene-free small molecule bulk heterojunction blends. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2016; 18:12476-85. [DOI: 10.1039/c6cp01269h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The impact of processing conditions on the morphological characteristics of bulk-heterojunction molecular blends prepared from small molecules based on diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) and perylene-diimide (PDI) chromophores have been investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Namepetra
- Department of Physics
- Dalhousie University
- Halifax
- Canada B3H 4R2
- Department of Chemistry
| | | | - Ala'a F. Eftaiha
- Department of Chemistry
- The Hashemite University
- Zarqa 13115
- Jordan
| | - Ian G. Hill
- Department of Physics
- Dalhousie University
- Halifax
- Canada B3H 4R2
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17
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Alcohol-soluble Star-shaped Oligofluorenes as Interlayer for High Performance Polymer Solar Cells. Sci Rep 2015; 5:17329. [PMID: 26612688 PMCID: PMC4661482 DOI: 10.1038/srep17329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2015] [Accepted: 10/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Two star-shaped oligofluorenes with hexakis(fluoren-2-yl)benzene as core are designed and sythesized for interfacial materials in polymer solar cell. Diethanolamino groups are attached to the side chain of fluorene units for T0-OH and T1-OH to enable the alcohol solubility, and additional hydrophobic n-hexyl chains are also grafted on the increased fluorene arms for T1-OH. In conventional device with PCDTBT/PC71BM as active layer, a 50% enhanced PCE is obtained by incorporating T0-OH and T1-OH as the interlayer compared with device without interlayer. By optimizing the active material with PTB7 and with the inverted device structure, a maximum PCE of 9.30% is achieved, which is among the highest efficiencies for PTB7 based polymer solar cells. The work function of modified electrode, the surface morphology and the suraface properties are systematically studied. By modifying the structures of the star-shaped molecules, a balance between the hydrophobic and hydrophilic property is finely tuned, and thus facilitate the interlayer for high performance of PSCs.
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18
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Controlling the morphology of the active layer by using additives and its effect on bulk hetero-junction solar cell performance. KOREAN J CHEM ENG 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s11814-015-0162-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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19
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Li M, Liu F, Wan X, Ni W, Kan B, Feng H, Zhang Q, Yang X, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Shen Y, Russell TP, Chen Y. Subtle Balance Between Length Scale of Phase Separation and Domain Purification in Small-Molecule Bulk-Heterojunction Blends under Solvent Vapor Treatment. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2015; 27:6296-6302. [PMID: 26333172 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201502645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2015] [Revised: 07/18/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
A series of solvents with different solubilities for DR3TBDTT and PC71 BM, and different boiling points, is used for solvent vapor annealing (SVA) treatment to systematically investigate the solvent-morphology-performance relationship. The presence of solvent molecules inside bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) thin films promotes the mobility of both donor and acceptor molecules, leading to crystallization and aggregation, which are important in modulating morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miaomiao Li
- Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Feng Liu
- Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, 94720, USA
| | - Xiangjian Wan
- Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Wang Ni
- Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Bin Kan
- Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Huanran Feng
- Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Xuan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Yunchuang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Yamin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Yan Shen
- Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, School of Optical and Electronic Information, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, Hubei, China
| | - Thomas P Russell
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 01003, MA, USA
| | - Yongsheng Chen
- Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
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20
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Li L, Xiao L, Qin H, Gao K, Peng J, Cao Y, Liu F, Russell TP, Peng X. High-Efficiency Small Molecule-Based Bulk-Heterojunction Solar Cells Enhanced by Additive Annealing. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2015; 7:21495-21502. [PMID: 26355348 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5b06691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Solvent additive processing is important in optimizing an active layer's morphology and thus improving the performance of organic solar cells (OSCs). In this study, we find that how 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO) additive is removed plays a critical role in determining the film morphology of the bulk heterojunction OSCs in inverted structure based on a porphyrin small molecule. Different from the cases reported for polymer-based OSCs in conventional structures, the inverted OSCs upon the quick removal of the additive either by quick vacuuming or methanol washing exhibit poorer performance. In contrast, the devices after keeping the active layers in ambient pressure with additive dwelling for about 1 h (namely, additive annealing) show an enhanced power conversion efficiency up to 7.78% with a large short circuit current of 19.25 mA/cm(2), which are among the best in small molecule-based solar cells. The detailed morphology analyses using UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, grazing incidence X-ray diffraction, resonant soft X-ray scattering, and atomic force microscopy demonstrate that the active layer shows smaller-sized phase separation but improved structure order upon additive annealing. On the contrary, the quick removal of the additive either by quick vacuuming or methanol washing keeps the active layers in an earlier stage of large scaled phase separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisheng Li
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology , 381 Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Liangang Xiao
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology , 381 Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Hongmei Qin
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology , 381 Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Ke Gao
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology , 381 Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Junbiao Peng
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology , 381 Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Yong Cao
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology , 381 Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Feng Liu
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Thomas P Russell
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Xiaobin Peng
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology , 381 Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510640, China
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21
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Gao F, Himmelberger S, Andersson M, Hanifi D, Xia Y, Zhang S, Wang J, Hou J, Salleo A, Inganäs O. The Effect of Processing Additives on Energetic Disorder in Highly Efficient Organic Photovoltaics: A Case Study on PBDTTT-C-T:PC71 BM. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2015; 27:3868-3873. [PMID: 26016473 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201405913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2014] [Revised: 05/02/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Energetic disorder, an important parameter affecting the performance of organic photovoltaics, is significantly decreased upon the addition of processing additives in a highly efficient benzodithiophene-based copolymer blend (PBDTTT-C-T:PC71 BM). Wide-angle and small-angle X-ray scattering measurements suggest that the origin of this reduced energetic disorder is due to increased aggregation and a larger average fullerene domain size together with purer phases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Gao
- Biomolecular and Organic Electronics, IFM, Linköping University, Linköping, 58183, Sweden
| | - Scott Himmelberger
- Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Mattias Andersson
- Biomolecular and Organic Electronics, IFM, Linköping University, Linköping, 58183, Sweden
| | - David Hanifi
- Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Yuxin Xia
- Biomolecular and Organic Electronics, IFM, Linköping University, Linköping, 58183, Sweden
| | - Shaoqing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer, Physics and Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, PR China
| | - Jianpu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLOFE) and Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), National Synergistic Innovation Centre for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing Tech University, 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Jianhui Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer, Physics and Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, PR China
| | - Alberto Salleo
- Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Olle Inganäs
- Biomolecular and Organic Electronics, IFM, Linköping University, Linköping, 58183, Sweden
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22
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Josey DS, Castrucci JS, Dang JD, Lessard BH, Bender TP. Evaluating Thiophene Electron-Donor Layers for the Rapid Assessment of Boron Subphthalocyanines as Electron Acceptors in Organic Photovoltaics: Solution or Vacuum Deposition? Chemphyschem 2015; 16:1245-50. [DOI: 10.1002/cphc.201402751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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23
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Kan B, Li M, Zhang Q, Liu F, Wan X, Wang Y, Ni W, Long G, Yang X, Feng H, Zuo Y, Zhang M, Huang F, Cao Y, Russell TP, Chen Y. A series of simple oligomer-like small molecules based on oligothiophenes for solution-processed solar cells with high efficiency. J Am Chem Soc 2015; 137:3886-93. [PMID: 25736989 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5b00305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 314] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
A series of acceptor-donor-acceptor simple oligomer-like small molecules based on oligothiophenes, namely, DRCN4T-DRCN9T, were designed and synthesized. Their optical, electrical, and thermal properties and photovoltaic performances were systematically investigated. Except for DRCN4T, excellent performances were obtained for DRCN5T-DRCN9T. The devices based on DRCN5T, DRCN7T, and DRCN9T with axisymmetric chemical structures exhibit much higher short-circuit current densities than those based on DRCN6T and DRCN8T with centrosymmetric chemical structures, which is attributed to their well-developed fibrillar network with a feature size less than 20 nm. The devices based on DRCN5T/PC71BM showed a notable certified power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.10% under AM 1.5G irradiation (100 mW cm(-2)) using a simple solution spin-coating fabrication process. This is the highest PCE for single-junction small-molecule-based organic photovoltaics (OPVs) reported to date. DRCN5T is a rather simpler molecule compared with all of the other high-performance molecules in OPVs to date, and this might highlight its advantage in the future possible commercialization of OPVs. These results demonstrate that a fine and balanced modification/design of chemical structure can make significant performance differences and that the performance of solution-processed small-molecule-based solar cells can be comparable to or even surpass that of their polymer counterparts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Kan
- †State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Centre for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Institute of Polymer Chemistry and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Miaomiao Li
- †State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Centre for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Institute of Polymer Chemistry and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- †State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Centre for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Institute of Polymer Chemistry and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Feng Liu
- ‡Polymer Science and Engineering Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Xiangjian Wan
- †State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Centre for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Institute of Polymer Chemistry and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Yunchuang Wang
- †State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Centre for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Institute of Polymer Chemistry and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Wang Ni
- †State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Centre for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Institute of Polymer Chemistry and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Guankui Long
- †State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Centre for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Institute of Polymer Chemistry and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Xuan Yang
- †State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Centre for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Institute of Polymer Chemistry and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Huanran Feng
- †State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Centre for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Institute of Polymer Chemistry and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Yi Zuo
- †State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Centre for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Institute of Polymer Chemistry and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Mingtao Zhang
- ∥Computational Center for Molecular Science, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Fei Huang
- §State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Yong Cao
- §State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Thomas P Russell
- ‡Polymer Science and Engineering Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Yongsheng Chen
- †State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Centre for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Institute of Polymer Chemistry and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
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24
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Abstract
This review highlights the efforts towards the realization of an artificial photosynthetic system able to convert sunlight into electricity by using a unique solvent, water, the solvent of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Bella
- GAME Lab
- CHENERGY Group
- Department of Applied Science and Technology – DISAT
- 10129 Torino
- Italy
| | - Claudio Gerbaldi
- GAME Lab
- CHENERGY Group
- Department of Applied Science and Technology – DISAT
- 10129 Torino
- Italy
| | - Claudia Barolo
- Department of Chemistry and NIS Interdepartmental Centre
- Università degli Studi di Torino
- 10125 Torino
- Italy
| | - Michael Grätzel
- Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL)
- 1015 Lausanne
- Switzerland
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25
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Istanbulluoglu C, Göker S, Hizalan G, Hacioglu SO, Udum YA, Yildiz ED, Cirpan A, Toppare L. Synthesis of a benzotriazole bearing alternating copolymer for organic photovoltaic applications. NEW J CHEM 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c5nj01026h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Improvement of the efficiencyviabenzodithiphene based polymer in organic photovoltaics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Seza Göker
- Department of Chemistry
- Middle East Technical University
- 06800 Ankara
- Turkey
| | - Gonul Hizalan
- Department of Chemistry
- Middle East Technical University
- 06800 Ankara
- Turkey
| | - Serife O. Hacioglu
- Department of Chemistry
- Middle East Technical University
- 06800 Ankara
- Turkey
| | - Yasemin Arslan Udum
- Institute of Science and Technology Department of Advanced Technologies
- Gazi University
- 06570 Ankara
- Turkey
| | | | - Ali Cirpan
- Department of Chemistry
- Middle East Technical University
- 06800 Ankara
- Turkey
- The Center for Solar Energy Research and Application (GÜNAM)
| | - Levent Toppare
- Department of Chemistry
- Middle East Technical University
- 06800 Ankara
- Turkey
- The Center for Solar Energy Research and Application (GÜNAM)
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26
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Solanki A, Wu B, Salim T, Lam YM, Sum TC. Correlation between blend morphology and recombination dynamics in additive-added P3HT:PCBM solar cells. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2015; 17:26111-20. [DOI: 10.1039/c5cp03762j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The addition of a small amount of high boiling point solvent in organic donor/acceptor blends to control their morphology is one viable approach to enhance the power conversion efficiency of thermal-annealing free bulk heterojunction (BHJ) organic solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankur Solanki
- Division of Physics and Applied Physics
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
- Nanyang Technological University
- Singapore
| | - Bo Wu
- Division of Physics and Applied Physics
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
- Nanyang Technological University
- Singapore
- Singapore-Berkeley Research Initiative for Sustainable Energy (SinBeRISE)
| | - Teddy Salim
- School of Materials Science and Engineering
- Nanyang Technological University
- Singapore
- Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N)
- Singapore
| | - Yeng Ming Lam
- School of Materials Science and Engineering
- Nanyang Technological University
- Singapore
- Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N)
- Singapore
| | - Tze Chien Sum
- Division of Physics and Applied Physics
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
- Nanyang Technological University
- Singapore
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Lai YY, Liao MH, Chen YT, Cao FY, Hsu CS, Cheng YJ. Compact bis-adduct fullerenes and additive-assisted morphological optimization for efficient organic photovoltaics. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2014; 6:20102-20109. [PMID: 25285727 DOI: 10.1021/am505616x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Bis-adduct fullerenes surrounded by two insulating addends sterically attenuate intermolecular interaction and cause inferior electron transportation. In this research, we have designed and synthesized a new class of bis-adduct fullerene materials, methylphenylmethano-C60 bis-adduct (MPC60BA), methylthienylmethano-C60 bis-adduct (MTC60BA), methylphenylmethano-C70 bis-adduct (MPC70BA), and methylthienylmethano-C70 bis-adduct (MTC70BA), functionalized with two compact phenylmethylmethano and thienylmethylmethano addends via cyclopropyl linkages. These materials with much higher-lying lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy levels successfully enhanced the Voc values of the P3HT-based solar cell devices. The compact phenylmethylmethano and thienylmethylmethano addends to promote fullerene intermolecular interactions result in aggregation-induced phase separation as observed by the atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of the poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT)/bis-adduct fullerene thin films. The device based on the P3HT/MTC60BA blend yielded a Voc of 0.72 V, a Jsc of 5.87 mA/cm(2), and a fill factor (FF) of 65.3%, resulting in a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 2.76%. The unfavorable morphologies can be optimized by introducing a solvent additive to fine-tune the intermolecular interactions. 1-Chloronaphthalene (CN) having better ability to dissolve the bis-adduct fullerenes can homogeneously disperse the fullerene materials into the P3HT matrix. Consequently, the aggregated fullerene domains can be alleviated to reach a favorable morphology. With the assistance of CN additive, the P3HT/MTC60BA-based device exhibited enhanced characteristics (a Voc of 0.78 V, a Jsc of 9.04 mA/cm(2), and an FF of 69.8%), yielding a much higher PCE of 4.92%. More importantly, the additive-assisted morphological optimization is consistently effective to all four compact bis-adduct fullerenes regardless of the methylphenylmethano or methylthienylmethano scaffolds as well as C60 or C70 core structures. Through the extrinsic additive treatment, these bis-adduct fullerene materials with compact architectures show promise for high-performance polymer solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Yu Lai
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chiao Tung University , 1001 University Road, Hsin-Chu, 30010 Taiwan
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Li M, Liu J, Cao X, Zhou K, Zhao Q, Yu X, Xing R, Han Y. Achieving balanced intermixed and pure crystalline phases in PDI-based non-fullerene organic solar cells via selective solvent additives. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2014; 16:26917-28. [DOI: 10.1039/c4cp04161e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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Eftaiha AF, Sun JP, Hendsbee AD, Macaulay C, Hill IG, Welch GC. High open circuit voltage organic solar cells based upon fullerene free bulk heterojunction active layers. CAN J CHEM 2014. [DOI: 10.1139/cjc-2014-0099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
We have recently reported on a small organic molecule containing a bithiophene core with end-capping phthalimide units (PthTh2Pth) that exhibited a H-aggregation tendency in the solid state and high electron mobility in organic field effect transistors. In this contribution, we have studied both the physical and electrical properties of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and PthTh2Pth thin films by measuring the optical absorption, Frontier molecular orbital energy levels, photoluminescence quenching, thermal properties, and photovoltaic response. Our results have provided a useful insight into the use of PthTh2Pth as an electron acceptor material for organic photovoltaic applications. In comparison with high-performance, fullerene-based, solution-processed bulk heterojunction solar cells reported in the literature, a relatively high open circuit voltage (∼0.94 V) was obtained for various donor–acceptor blend ratios. These results highlight the potential for PthTh2Pth to act as an alternative to fullerenes as acceptors in organic solar cell devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ala’a F. Eftaiha
- Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie University, 6274 Coburg Road, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
- Department of Physics, Dalhousie University, 1459 Oxford Street, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Jon-Paul Sun
- Department of Physics, Dalhousie University, 1459 Oxford Street, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Arthur D. Hendsbee
- Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie University, 6274 Coburg Road, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Casper Macaulay
- Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie University, 6274 Coburg Road, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Ian G. Hill
- Department of Physics, Dalhousie University, 1459 Oxford Street, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Gregory C. Welch
- Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie University, 6274 Coburg Road, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
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