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Huang X, Wang X, Zou Y, An M, Wang Y. The Renaissance of Poly(3-hexylthiophene) as a Promising Hole-Transporting Material Toward Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2400874. [PMID: 38794876 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202400874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
To push the commercialization of the promising photovoltaic technique of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), the three-element golden law of efficiency, stability, and cost should be followed. As the key component of PSCs, hole-transporting materials (HTMs) involving widely-used organic semiconductors such as 2,2',7,7'-tetrakis-(N,N-di-4-methoxyphenylamino)-9,9'-spirobifluorene (Spiro-OMeTAD) or poly(triarylamine) (PTAA) usually suffer high-cost preparation and low operational stability. Fortunately, the studies on the classical p-type polymer poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) as an alternative HTM have recently sparked a broad interest due to its low-cost synthesis, excellent batch-to-batch purity, superior hole conductivity as well as controllable and stable film morphology. Despite this, the device efficiency still lags behind P3HT-based PSCs mainly owing to the mismatched energy level and poor interfacial contact between P3HT and the perovskite layer. Hence, in this review, the study timely summarizes the developed strategies for overcoming the corresponding issues such as interface engineering, morphology regulation, and formation of composite HTMs from which some critical clues can be extracted to provide guidance for further boosting the efficiency and stability of P3HT-based devices. Finally, in the outlook, the future research directions either from the viewpoint of material design or device engineering are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaozhen Huang
- Strait Institute of Flexible Electronics (SIFE, Future Technologies), Fujian Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics, Fujian Normal University and Strait Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (SLoFE), Fuzhou, Fujian, 350117, China
| | - Xuran Wang
- Strait Institute of Flexible Electronics (SIFE, Future Technologies), Fujian Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics, Fujian Normal University and Strait Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (SLoFE), Fuzhou, Fujian, 350117, China
| | - Yaqing Zou
- Strait Institute of Flexible Electronics (SIFE, Future Technologies), Fujian Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics, Fujian Normal University and Strait Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (SLoFE), Fuzhou, Fujian, 350117, China
| | - Mingwei An
- Strait Institute of Flexible Electronics (SIFE, Future Technologies), Fujian Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics, Fujian Normal University and Strait Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (SLoFE), Fuzhou, Fujian, 350117, China
| | - Yang Wang
- Strait Institute of Flexible Electronics (SIFE, Future Technologies), Fujian Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics, Fujian Normal University and Strait Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (SLoFE), Fuzhou, Fujian, 350117, China
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China
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Cheng S, Zhao R, Seferos DS. Precision Synthesis of Conjugated Polymers Using the Kumada Methodology. Acc Chem Res 2021; 54:4203-4214. [PMID: 34726058 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.1c00556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Since the discovery of conductive poly(acetylene), the study of conjugated polymers has remained an active and interdisciplinary frontier between polymer chemistry, polymer physics, computation, and device engineering. One of the ultimate goals of polymer science is to reliably synthesize structures, similar to small molecule synthesis. Kumada catalyst-transfer polymerization (KCTP) is a powerful tool for synthesizing conjugated polymers with predictable molecular weights, narrow dispersities, specific end groups, and complex backbone architectures. However, expanding the monomer scope beyond the well-studied 3-alkylthiophenes to include electron-deficient and complex heterocycles has been difficult. Revisiting the successful applications of KCTP can help us gain new insight into the CTP mechanisms and thus inspire breakthroughs in the controlled polymerization of challenging π-conjugated monomers.In this Account, we highlight our efforts over the past decade to achieve controlled synthesis of homopolymers (p-type and n-type), copolymers (diblock and statistical), and monodisperse high oligomers. We first give a brief introduction of the mechanism and state-of-the-art of KCTP. Since the extent of polymerization control is determined by steric and electronic effects of both the catalyst and monomer, the polymerization can be optimized by modifying monomer and catalyst structures, as well as finding a well-matched monomer-catalyst system. We discuss the effects of side-chain steric hindrance and halogens in the context of heavy atom substituted monomers. By moving the side-chain branch point one carbon atom away from the heterocycle to alleviate steric crowding and stabilize the catalyst resting state, we were able to successfully control the polymerization of new tellurophene monomers. Inspired by innocent role of the sterically encumbered 2-transmetalated 3-alkylthiophene monomer, we introduce the treatment of hygroscopic monomers with a bulky Grignard compound as a water-scavenger for the improved synthesis of water-soluble conjugated polymers. For challenging electron-deficient monomers, we discuss the design of new Ni(II)diimine catalysts with electron-donating character which enhance the stability of the association complex between the catalyst and the growing polymer chain, resulting in the quasi-living synthesis of n-type polymers. Beyond n-type homopolymers, the Ni(II)diimine catalysts are also capable of producing electron-rich and electron-deficient diblock and statistical copolymers. We discuss how density functional theory (DFT) calculations elucidate the role of catalyst steric and electronic effects in controlling the synthesis of π-conjugated polymers. Moreover, we demonstrate the synthesis of monodisperse high oligomers by temperature cycling, which takes full advantage of the unique character of KCTP in that it proceeds through distinct intermediates that are not reactive. The insight we gained thus far leads to the first example of isolated living conjugated polymer chains prepared by a standard KCTP procedure, with general applicability to different monomers and catalytic systems. In summarizing a decade of innovation in KCTP, we hope this Account will inspire future development in the field to overcome key challenges including the controlled synthesis of electron-deficient heterocycles, complex and high-performance systems, and degradable and recyclable materials as well as cutting-edge catalyst design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Cheng
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Ruyan Zhao
- 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
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, 200 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E5, Canada
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Cheng S, Ye S, Apte CN, Yudin AK, Seferos DS. Improving the Kumada Catalyst Transfer Polymerization with Water-Scavenging Grignard Reagents. ACS Macro Lett 2021; 10:697-701. [PMID: 35549106 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.1c00233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Conjugated polymers have received widespread interest as optoelectronic materials. Recently, these macromolecules have been adopted for biologically relevant applications, such as sensors, imaging agents, and drug delivery vectors. A major limitation of the chemistry used to prepare these classes of compounds is that the resultant polymers themselves are not tolerant to water or are not inherently water-soluble. For example, the most controlled method of conjugated polymer synthesis, the Kumada catalyst transfer polymerization (KCTP), requires stringent drying of monomers, catalysts, and other reagents. Here, we describe an approach to use a water-scavenging Grignard reagent to alleviate many of the shortcomings that currently hinder the synthesis of water-soluble conjugated polymers. This method shows improved polymerization performance in both traditional conjugated polymer synthesis as well as more challenging syntheses of polar hygroscopic polymers that are of interest for biological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Cheng
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Shuyang Ye
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Chirag N. Apte
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Andrei K. Yudin
- 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
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, 200 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E5, Canada
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Gou Z, Zhang X, Zuo Y, Lin W. Synthesis of Silane-Based Poly(thioether) via Successive Click Reaction and Their Applications in Ion Detection and Cell Imaging. Polymers (Basel) 2019; 11:polym11081235. [PMID: 31349686 PMCID: PMC6723054 DOI: 10.3390/polym11081235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
A series of poly(thioether)s containing silicon atom with unconventional fluorescence were synthesized via successive thiol click reaction at room temperature. Although rigid π-conjugated structure did not exist in the polymer chain, the poly(thioether)s exhibited excellent fluorescent properties in solutions and showed visible blue fluorescence in living cells. The strong blue fluorescence can be attributed to the aggregation of lone pair electron of heteroatom and coordination between heteroatom and Si atom. In addition, the responsiveness of poly(thioether) to metal ions suggested that the selectivity of poly(thioether) to Fe3+ ion could be enhanced by end-modifying with different sulfhydryl compounds. This study further explored their application in cell imaging and studied their responsiveness to Fe3+ in living cells. It is expected that the described synthetic route could be extended to synthesize novel poly(thioether)s with superior optical properties. Their application in cell imaging and ion detection will broaden the range of application of poly(thioether)s.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiming Gou
- Institute of Fluorescent Probes for Biological Imaging, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Jinan, Shandong 250022, China
| | - Xiaomei Zhang
- Institute of Fluorescent Probes for Biological Imaging, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Jinan, Shandong 250022, China
| | - Yujing Zuo
- Institute of Fluorescent Probes for Biological Imaging, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Jinan, Shandong 250022, China
| | - Weiying Lin
- Institute of Fluorescent Probes for Biological Imaging, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Jinan, Shandong 250022, China.
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