Research progress and application of high efficiency organic solar cells based on benzodithiophene donor materials

In recent decades, the demand for clean and renewable energy has grown increasingly urgent due to the irreversible alteration of the global climate change. As a result, organic solar cells (OSCs) have emerged as a promising alternative to address this issue. In this review, we summarize the recent progress in the molecular design strategies of benzodithiophene (BDT)-based polymer and small molecule donor materials since their birth, focusing on the development of main-chain engineering, side-chain engineering and other unique molecular design paths. Up to now, the state-of-the-art power conversion efficiency (PCE) of binary OSCs prepared by BDT-based donor materials has approached 20%. This work discusses the potential relationship between the molecular changes of donor materials and photoelectric performance in corresponding OSC devices in detail, thereby presenting a rational molecular design guidance for stable and efficient donor materials in future.

Benzotriazole-EDOT electrochromic conjugated polymers perform sub-second response time and 774 cm2C-1 coloration efficiency

To investigate the effect of double fluorine substitution on the optical, electrochemical, thermodynamic, morphological and electrochromic properties of electrochromic polymers, two benzotriazole-EDOT electrochromic conjugated polymers of PBTz-E and P2F-BTz-E were...

Synthesis of star-shaped polyzwitterions with adjustable UCST and fast responsiveness by a facile RAFT polymerization

We describe crosslinking of polyzwitterions for the formation of novel star-shaped polymers with low polydispersities and dual-responsiveness using RAFT polymerization.

Narrow bandgap difluorobenzochalcogenadiazole-based polymers for high-performance organic thin-film transistors and polymer solar cells

A series of difluorobenzochalcogenadiazole-bithiophene copolymers are developed for high-performance organic semiconductors.

Cyano-substituted benzochalcogenadiazole-based polymer semiconductors for balanced ambipolar organic thin-film transistors

Two new cyano-substituted benzochalcogenadiazoles were copolymerized with bithiophene, and the polymers show well balanced ambipolarity in transistors.

D-A1-D-A2 Copolymer Based on Pyridine-Capped Diketopyrrolopyrrole with Fluorinated Benzothiadiazole for High-Performance Ambipolar Organic Thin-Film Transistors

A novel donor-acceptor-donor-acceptor (D-A1-D-A2) π-conjugated copolymer (PDBPyDT2FBT) has been prepared by Stille coupling reaction. It is found that PDBPyDT2FBT exhibits low LUMO energy level mainly because of multiple electron-deficient units and donor-acceptor interaction, which is favorable to obtain more efficient electron injection and transport in organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs). Moreover, introducing two electron-deficient moieties into the thiophene-containing copolymer increases the length of conjugated main chain and enhances the coplanarity of the backbone, which may be beneficial for promoting the molecular crystallinity and improving molecular ordering capability at low temperatures. High electron and hole mobilities up to 0.65 and 0.24 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) were obtained at relatively low annealing temperatures of 100 and 80 °C, respectively, implying that PDBPyDT2FBT is a promising ambipolar polymer semiconductor applied in low-cost and large-area manufacturing of OTFTs.

N. A, B. H. Rational design of benzodithiophene based conjugated polymers for better solar cell performance

We present a concise review of conjugated polymers based on benzodithiophenes (BDTs) for high-performance polymer solar cells (PSCs).

White electroluminescence from a single polymer system: phenothiazine derivatives as a red emissive dopant and polyfluorene as a blue host

Photo physical studies of organic light emitting copolymers and their ordered supramolecular self-assembly: tuning the electroluminescence properties with high efficient white light.

Dithienosilole-benzothiadiazole-based ternary copolymers with a D1–A–D2–A structure for polymer solar cells

A series of regularly alternating D₁–A–D₂–A type of ternary copolymers were synthesized for the application in polymer solar cells.

Influences of the backbone randomness on the properties, morphology and performances of the fluorinated benzoselenadiazole–benzothiadiazole based random copolymers

A series of FBT–FBSe ternary random copolymers were synthesized to identify the influences of backbone randomness on the morphology and performances.