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Arunkumar A, Ju XH. Computational method on highly efficient D-π-A-π-D-based different molecular acceptors for organic solar cells applications and non-linear optical behaviour. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2024; 317:124391. [PMID: 38704998 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2024.124391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Eight molecular structures (BT-A1 to BT-A8) with high-performance non-fullerene acceptor (NFA) were selected for organic solar cells (OSCs) and non-linear optical (NLO) applications. Their electronic, photovoltaic (PV) and optoelectronic properties were tuned by adding powerful electron-withdrawing groups to the acceptor (A) of the D-π-A-π-D structure. Using time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) techniques, based on the laws of quantum chemical calculations, the absorption spectra, stability of the highest and lowest-energy molecular orbitals (HOMO/LUMOs), electron density, intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), transition density matrix (TDM), were examined. The binding energy (Eb) and density of states (DOS) were probed to realize the optoelectronic analysis of the structures BT-A1 to BT-A8. Noncovalent interactions (NCIs) based on a reduced density gradient (RDG) were used to describe the nature and strength of D-A interactions in the molecules BT-A1 to BT-A8. The new refined molecules BT-A1 to BT-A8 exhibited strong absorbance bands between 408-721 nm and high electron transfer contribution (ETC) ranges between 87-96 %, along with the smallest excitation energies (Ex) between 1.71-3.55 eV in the solvent dichloromethane. Dipolar moment strengths ranging from 0.38 to 4.72 Debye in both the excited and ground states have determined with good solubility properties of BT-A1 to BT-A8 in polar solvent. Highly effective charge mobilities and prevention of charge recombination have been demonstrated by the electron (0.18-0.41 eV) and hole RE values (0.13-0.89 eV) for the new compounds. Power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of BT-A1 to BT-A8 were nearly the same because of better outcomes compared to the molecules in the BT. Compared to 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)] (PTB7-Th), the open circuit voltages (Voc) of compounds BT-A1 to BT-A8 were ranged from 1.52 to 2.13 eV. The polarizability (α) and hyperpolarizability (β) of the molecules BT-A1 to BT-A8 were used to determine the non-linear optical (NLO) properties. The results showed that BT-A2, BT-A6 and BT-A7 have good NLO activity. This computational analysis demonstrates the superiority of the molecules with NFA. Hence the compounds are advised for the use in production of high-performance OSCs and NLO activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ammasi Arunkumar
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210094, PR China
| | - Xue-Hai Ju
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210094, PR China.
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Yang N, Cui Y, Xiao Y, Chen Z, Zhang T, Yu Y, Ren J, Wang W, Ma L, Hou J. Completely Non-Fused Low-Cost Acceptor Enables Organic Photovoltaic Cells with 17 % Efficiency. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202403753. [PMID: 38523070 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202403753] [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: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
To meet the industrial requirements of organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells, it is imperative to accelerate the development of cost-effective materials. Thiophene-benzene-thiophene central unit-based acceptors possess the advantage of low synthetic cost, while their power conversion efficiency (PCE) is relatively low. Here, by incorporating a para-substituted benzene unit and 1st-position branched alkoxy chains with large steric hindrance, a completely non-fused non-fullerene acceptor, TBT-26, was designed and synthesized. The narrow band gap of 1.38 eV ensures the effective utilization of sunlight. The favorable phase separation morphology of TBT-26-based blend film facilitates the efficient exciton dissociation and charge transport in corresponding OPV cell. Therefore, the TBT-26-based small-area cell achieves an impressive PCE of 17.0 %, which is the highest value of completely non-fused OPV cells. Additionally, we successfully demonstrated the scalability of this design by fabricating a 28.8 cm2 module with a high PCE of 14.3 %. Overall, our work provides a practical molecular design strategy for developing high-performance and low-cost acceptors, paving the way for industrial applications of OPV technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ni Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yong Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Yang Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhihao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yue Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Junzhen Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Wenxuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lijiao Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Jianhui Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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Yang LJ, Wu Y, Murugan P, Liu P, Qiu ZY, Peng YL, Li ZF, Liu SY. Advancing Integration of Direct C-H Arylation-Derived Star-Shaped Oligomers as Second Acceptors for Ternary Organic Solar Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:26348-26359. [PMID: 38728664 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c05564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Organic solar cells (OSCs) could benefit from the ternary bulk heterojunction (BHJ), a method that allows for fine-tuning of light capture, cascade energy levels, and film shape, in order to increase their power conversion efficiency (PCE). In this work, the third components of PM6:Y6 and PM6:BTP-eC9 BHJs are a set of four star-shaped unfused ring electron acceptors (SSUFREAs), i.e., BD-IC, BFD-IC, BD-2FIC, and BFD-2FIC, that are facilely synthesized by direct C-H arylation. The four SSUFREAs all show complete complementary absorption with PM6, Y6, and BTP-eC9, which facilitates light harvesting and exciton collection. When BFD-2FIC is added as a third component, the PCEs of PM6:Y6 and PM6:BTP-eC9 binary BHJs are able to be improved from 15.31% to 16.85%, and from 16.23% to 17.23%, respectively, showing that BFD-2FIC is useful for most effective ternary OSCs in general, and increasing short circuit current (JSC) and better film morphology are two additional benefits. The ternary PM6:Y6:BFD-2FIC exhibits a 9.7% percentage of increase in PCE compared to the PM6:Y6 binary BHJ, which is one of the highest percentage increases among the reported ternary BHJs, showing the huge potential of BFD-2FIC for ternary BHJ OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling-Jun Yang
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Materials Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, China
| | - Yu Wu
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Materials Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, China
- China-Australia Institute for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing (IAMM), Jiaxing University, Jiaxing 314001, China
| | - Pachaiyappan Murugan
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Materials Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, China
| | - Peng Liu
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Materials Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, China
| | - Zhi-Yong Qiu
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Materials Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, China
| | - Yu-Long Peng
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Materials Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, China
| | - Zai-Fang Li
- China-Australia Institute for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing (IAMM), Jiaxing University, Jiaxing 314001, China
| | - Shi-Yong Liu
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Materials Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, China
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Shokrollahi Z, Piralaee M, Asgari A. Performance and optimization study of selected 4-terminal tandem solar cells. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11515. [PMID: 38769326 PMCID: PMC11106283 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62085-0] [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: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Tandem solar cells owing to their layered structure in which each sub-cell utilizes a certain part of the solar spectrum with reduced thermal losses, are promising applicants to promote the power conversion efficiency beyond the Shockley-Queisser limit of single-junction solar cells. This study delves into the performance and optimization of 4-terminal organic/silicon tandem solar cells through numerical simulations using SCAPS-1D software. The tandem architecture combining organic, perovskite, and silicon materials, shows potential in enhancing light absorption across the solar spectrum with complementary absorption spectra. Through innovative material exploration, optimization techniques are explored to advance the performance boundaries of organic/silicon tandem solar cells. The study employs the Beer-Lambert law to assess the impact of varied physical parameters on tandem solar cell efficiency, aiming to propose optimal configurations. Results indicate a maximum efficiency of 25.86% with P3HT:PC70BM organic active layer (150 nm thickness) and 36.8% with Cs2AgBi0.75Sb0.25Br6 active layer (400 nm thickness) in the studied 4-terminal tandem structures. These findings offer valuable insights into the complex physics of these tandem solar cells, for developing high-performance and commercially practical photovoltaic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mina Piralaee
- Faculty of Physics, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
- Photonic Devices Research Group, Research Institute for Applied Physics and Astronomy, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
| | - Asghar Asgari
- Faculty of Physics, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
- Photonic Devices Research Group, Research Institute for Applied Physics and Astronomy, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
- School of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
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5
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Fu H, Wang Q, Chen Q, Zhang Y, Meng S, Xue L, Zhang C, Yi Y, Zhang ZG. Dimeric Giant Molecule Acceptors Featuring N-type Linker: Enhancing Intramolecular Coupling for High-Performance Polymer Solar Cells. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202403005. [PMID: 38382043 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202403005] [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: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Giant molecular acceptors (GMAs) are typically designed through the conjugated linking of individual small molecule acceptors (SMAs). This design imparts an extended molecular size, elevating the glass transition temperature (Tg) relative to their SMA counterparts. Consequently, it effectively suppresses the thermodynamic relaxation of the acceptor component when blended with polymer donors to construct stable polymer solar cells (PSCs). Despite their merits, the optimization of their chemical structure for further enhancing of device performance remains challenge. Different from previous reports utilizing p-type linkers, here, we explore an n-type linker, specifically the benzothiadiazole unit, to dimerize the SMA units via a click-like Knoevenagel condensation, affording BT-DL. In comparison with B-DL with a benzene linkage, BT-DL exhibits significantly stronger intramolecular super-exchange coupling, a desirable property for the acceptor component. Furthermore, BT-DL demonstrates a higher film absorption coefficient, redshifted absorption, larger crystalline coherence, and higher electron mobility. These inherent advantages of BT-DL translate into a higher power conversion efficiency of 18.49 % in PSCs, a substantial improvement over the 9.17 % efficiency observed in corresponding devices with B-DL as the acceptor. Notably, the BT-DL based device exhibits exceptional stability, retaining over 90 % of its initial efficiency even after enduring 1000 hours of thermal stress at 90 °C. This work provides a cost-effective approach to the synthesis of n-type linker-dimerized GMAs, and highlight their potential advantage in enhancing intramolecular coupling for more efficient and durable photovoltaic technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyuan Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Qingyuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Qi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Yaogang Zhang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Shixin Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Lingwei Xue
- Yaoshan Laboratory, Pingdingshan University, Pingdingshan, Henan, 467000, P. R. China
| | - Chunfeng Zhang
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, School of Physics, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, P. R. China
| | - Yuanping Yi
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Zhi-Guo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
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6
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Zoppellaro G, Medveď M, Hrubý V, Zbořil R, Otyepka M, Lazar P. Solvent Controlled Generation of Spin Active Polarons in Two-Dimensional Material under UV Light Irradiation. J Am Chem Soc 2024. [PMID: 38696712 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c13296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
Polarons belong to a class of extensively studied quasiparticles that have found applications spanning diverse fields, including charge transport, colossal magnetoresistance, thermoelectricity, (multi)ferroism, optoelectronics, and photovoltaics. It is notable, though, that their interaction with the local environment has been overlooked so far. We report an unexpected phenomenon of the solvent-induced generation of polaronic spin active states in a two-dimensional (2D) material fluorographene under UV light. Furthermore, we present compelling evidence of the solvent-specific nature of this phenomenon. The generation of spin-active states is robust in acetone, moderate in benzene, and absent in cyclohexane. Continuous wave X-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy experiments revealed a massive increase in the EPR signal for fluorographene dispersed in acetone under UV-light irradiation, while the system did not show any significant signal under dark conditions and without the solvent. The patterns appeared due to the generation of transient magnetic photoexcited states of polaronic character, which encompassed the net 1/2 spin moment detectable by EPR. Advanced ab initio calculations disclosed that polarons are plausibly formed at radical sites in fluorographene which interact strongly with acetone molecules in their vicinity. Additionally, we present a comprehensive scenario for multiplication of polaronic spin active species, highlighting the pivotal role of the photoinduced charge transfer from the solvent to the electrophilic radical centers in fluorographene. We believe that the solvent-tunable polaron formation with the use of UV light and an easily accessible 2D nanomaterial opens up a wide range of future applications, ranging from molecular sensing to magneto-optical devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgio Zoppellaro
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, The Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN), Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc 779 00, Czech Republic
- Nanotechnology Centre, Centre for Energy and Environmental Technologies (CEET), VŠB─Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 2172/15, Ostrava-Poruba 708 00, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Medveď
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, The Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN), Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc 779 00, Czech Republic
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Matej Bel University, Tajovského 40, Banská Bystrica 974 01, Slovak Republic
| | - Vítězslav Hrubý
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, The Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN), Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc 779 00, Czech Republic
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, 17. listopadu 12, Olomouc 771 46, Czech Republic
| | - Radek Zbořil
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, The Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN), Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc 779 00, Czech Republic
- Nanotechnology Centre, Centre for Energy and Environmental Technologies (CEET), VŠB─Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 2172/15, Ostrava-Poruba 708 00, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Otyepka
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, The Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN), Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc 779 00, Czech Republic
- IT4Innovations, VŠB - Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 2172/15, Ostrava-Poruba 708 00, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Lazar
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, The Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN), Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc 779 00, Czech Republic
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Ding Y, Xiong S, Li M, Pu M, Zhu Y, Lai X, Wang Y, Qiu D, Lai H, He F. Highly-Efficient 2D Nonfullerene Acceptors Enabled by Subtle Molecular Tailoring Engineering. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2309169. [PMID: 38072767 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202309169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
The conjugate expansion of nonfullerene acceptors is considered to be a promising approach for improving organic photovoltaic performance because of its function in tuning morphological structure and molecular stacking behavior. In this work, two nonfullerene acceptors are designed and synthesized using a 2D π-conjugate expansion strategy, thus enabling the construction of highly-efficient organic solar cells (OSCs). Compared with YB2B (incorporating dibromophenanthrene on the quinoxaline-fused core), YB2T (incorporating dibromobenzodithiophene on the quinoxaline-fused core) has red-shifted spectral absorption and better charge transport properties. Moreover, the more orderly and tightly intermolecular stacking of YB2T provides the possibility of forming a more suitable phase separation morphology in blend films. Through characterization and analysis, the YB2T-based blend film is found to have higher exciton dissociation efficiency and less charge recombination. Consequently, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 17.05% is achieved in YB2T-based binary OSCs, while YB2B-based devices only reached 10.94%. This study demonstrates the significance of the aromatic-ring substitution strategy for regulating the electronic structure and aggregation behavior of 2D nonfullerene acceptors, facilitating the development of devices with superior photovoltaic performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yafei Ding
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Shilong Xiong
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Mingpeng Li
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Mingrui Pu
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Yiwu Zhu
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Xue Lai
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Yunpeng Wang
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Dongsheng Qiu
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Hanjian Lai
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Feng He
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
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8
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Zhang L, Deng D, Lu K, Wei Z. Optimization of Charge Management and Energy Loss in All-Small-Molecule Organic Solar Cells. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2302915. [PMID: 37399575 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202302915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
All-small-molecule organic solar cells (ASM-OSCs) have received tremendous attention in recent decades because of their advantages over their polymer counterparts. These advantages include well-defined chemical structures, easy purification, and negligible batch-to-batch variation. Remarkable progress with a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of over 17% has recently been achieved with improved charge management (FF × JSC) and reduced energy loss (Eloss). Morphology control is the key factor in the progress of ASM-OSCs, which remains a significant challenge because of the similarities in the molecular structures of the donors and acceptors. In this review, the effective strategies for charge management and/or Eloss reduction from the perspective of effective morphology control are summarized. The aim is to provide practical insights and guidance for material design and device optimization to promote further development of ASM-OSCs to a level where they can compete with or even surpass the efficiency of polymer solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
- Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research, Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Dan Deng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Kun Lu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Zhixiang Wei
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
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9
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Ma X, Wang C, Deng D, Zhang H, Zhang L, Zhang J, Yang Y, Wei Z. Small Molecule Donors Design Rules for Non-Halogen Solvent Fabricated Organic Solar Cells. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2309042. [PMID: 38063814 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202309042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Compared with all-small-molecule (ASM) and other types of organic solar cells (OSCs), the small molecule donor:polymer acceptor (SMD:PA) OSCs develop much slower due to the lack of material matching rules. Herein, by changing the end-cap substituent of the small molecule donor from ethyl (MPhS-C2) to benzyl (MPhS-Ph), the different selection rules of donor properties and thermal annealing (TA) treatment between the ASM and the SMD:PA system under tetrahydrofuran processing are thoroughly investigated. Therefore, MPhS-Ph exhibits more ordered molecular packing, leading to better adaptability in the SMD:PA system without TA; while the inferior molecular packing of MPhS-C2 after spin-coating performs better in the ASM system with TA. Whether spin-coating or TA process dominates morphological optimization also dominates their energy loss. Therefore, the MPhS-Ph:PYF-T-o and MPhS-C2:BTP-eC9 based devices achieve the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 12.1% and 15.7%, respectively, both of which are cutting-edge PCEs in their own type of OSCs fabricated by non-halogen solvent. This result suggests that intrinsic strong crystallization independent of the thermal drive is hoped in SMD:PA-OSCs, while high miscibility after spin-coating and proper assembly under thermal drive is expected in ASM-OSCs, providing deep understanding and guidance in highly efficient materials design rules in both ASM-OSCs and SMD:PA-OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoming Ma
- Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication of Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Science, Minzu University of China, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Caixuan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication of Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Dan Deng
- Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication of Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication of Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lili Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication of Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jianqi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication of Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Yuping Yang
- School of Science, Minzu University of China, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Zhixiang Wei
- Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication of Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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10
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Tang A, Cong P, Dai T, Wang Z, Zhou E. A 2-A 1-D-A 1-A 2-Type Nonfullerene Acceptors. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2300175. [PMID: 37907430 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202300175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
The A2-A1-D-A1-A2-type molecules consist of one electron-donating (D) core flanked by two electron-accepting units (A1 and A2) and have emerged as an essential branch of nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs). These molecules generally possess higher molecular energy levels and wider optical bandgaps compared with those of the classic A-D-A- and A-DA'D-A-type NFAs, owing to the attenuated intramolecular charge transfer effect. These characteristics make them compelling choices for the fabrication of high-voltage organic photovoltaics (OPVs), ternary OPVs, and indoor OPVs. Herein, the recent progress in the A2-A1-D-A1-A2-type NFAs are reviewed, including the molecular engineering, structure-property relationships, voltage loss (Vloss), device stability, and photovoltaic performance of binary, ternary, and indoor OPVs. Finally, the challenges and provided prospects are discussed for the further development of this type of NFAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ailing Tang
- National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Peiqing Cong
- National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Tingting Dai
- National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Zongtao Wang
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Erjun Zhou
- National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
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11
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Xu J, Wang Y, Zhu M, Wang R, Jiang H, Bo D, Jin C, Liu X. Construction of Functional Phenolic Resin and Carbon Hollow Spheres by Manipulating Structural Inhomogeneity. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:9039-9048. [PMID: 38635376 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c00355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Hollow carbonaceous spheres are extraordinarily attractive for their unique structural features and wide applications in various fields. Herein, a facile and effective synthesis methodology based on the extended Stöber process for construction of phenolic resin hollow spheres has been presented. Combined with a series of characterization techniques, the synthesis process was systematically investigated, and a possible synthesis mechanism was proposed. It is revealed that the structural inhomogeneity of the polymer product achieved by using dodecylamine and alkane is responsible for the formation of hollow architecture, which depends on spontaneous selective dissolution during the synthesis process. Different metal-doped carbonaceous hollow spheres can be obtained by introducing corresponding precursors into the synthetic system and meeting requirements of different application fields. This work presented a novel synthesis strategy of hollow carbonaceous spheres, which is significant for building a new platform of advanced functional carbon-based composites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqi Xu
- School of Petrochemical Engineering, Liaoning Petrochemical University, Fushun 113001, China
| | - Yuchen Wang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
- School of Resources and Materials, Northeastern University at Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
| | - Mengxuan Zhu
- School of Petrochemical Engineering, Liaoning Petrochemical University, Fushun 113001, China
| | - Rui Wang
- School of Petrochemical Engineering, Liaoning Petrochemical University, Fushun 113001, China
| | - Heng Jiang
- School of Petrochemical Engineering, Liaoning Petrochemical University, Fushun 113001, China
| | - Dechen Bo
- School of Petrochemical Engineering, Liaoning Petrochemical University, Fushun 113001, China
| | - Changzi Jin
- School of Petrochemical Engineering, Liaoning Petrochemical University, Fushun 113001, China
| | - Xin Liu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
- School of Resources and Materials, Northeastern University at Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
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12
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Su Z, Liu W, Lin Y, Ma Z, Zhang A, Lu H, Xu X, Li C, Liu Y, Bo Z. A 3,3'-Difluoro-2,2'-Bithiophene Based Donor Polymer Realizing High Efficiency (>17%) Single Junction Binary Organic Solar Cells. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024:e2310028. [PMID: 38651514 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202310028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
In this study, two novel donor-acceptor (D-A) copolymers are designed and synthesized, DTBT-2T and DTBT-2T2F with 2,2'-bithiophene or 3,3'-difluoro-2,2'-bithiophene as the donor unit and dithienobenzothiadiazole as the acceptor unit, and used them as donor materials in non-fullerene organic solar cells (OSCs). Due to enhanced planarity of polymer chains resulted by the intramolecular F···S noncovalent interactions, the incorporation of 3,3'-difluoro-2,2'-bithiophene unit instead of 2,2'-bithiophene into the polymers can enhance their molecular packing, crystallinity and hole mobility. The DTBT-2T:L8-BO based binary OSCs deliver a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of only 9.71% with a Voc of 0.78 V, a Jsc of 20.69 mA cm-2 , and an FF of 59.67%. Moreover, the introduction of fluoro atoms can lower the highest occupied molecular orbital levels. As a result, DTBT-2T2F:L8-BO based single-junction binary OSCs exhibited less recombination loss, more balanced charge mobility, and more favorable morphology, resulting in an impressive PCE of 17.03% with a higher Voc of 0.89 V, a Jsc of 25.40 mA cm-2, and an FF of 75.74%. These results indicate that 3,3'-difluoro-2,2'-bithiophene unit can be used as an effective building block to synthesize high performance polymer donor materials. This work greatly expands the selection range of donor units for constructing high-performance polymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyi Su
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Energy Conversion and Storage Materials, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Wenlong Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Energy Conversion and Storage Materials, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Yi Lin
- Center for Advanced Low-dimension Materials, State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Zaifei Ma
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Energy Conversion and Storage Materials, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- Center for Advanced Low-dimension Materials, State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Andong Zhang
- College of Textiles & Clothing, State Key Laboratory of Bio-fibers and Eco-textiles, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China
| | - Hao Lu
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China
| | - Xinjun Xu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Energy Conversion and Storage Materials, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Cuihong Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Energy Conversion and Storage Materials, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Yahui Liu
- College of Textiles & Clothing, State Key Laboratory of Bio-fibers and Eco-textiles, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China
| | - Zhishan Bo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Energy Conversion and Storage Materials, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- College of Textiles & Clothing, State Key Laboratory of Bio-fibers and Eco-textiles, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China
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13
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Hume PA, Price MB, Hodgkiss JM. New Avenues for Organic Solar Cells Using Intrinsically Charge-Generating Materials. JACS AU 2024; 4:1295-1302. [PMID: 38665646 PMCID: PMC11040696 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.4c00046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
The molecular electron acceptor material Y6 has been a key part of the most recent surge in organic solar cell sunlight-to-electricity power conversion efficiency, which is now approaching 20%. Numerous studies have sought to understand the fundamental photophysical reasons for the exceptional performance of Y6 and its growing family of structural derivatives. Though significant uncertainty about several details remains, many have concluded that initially photogenerated excited states rapidly convert into electron-hole charge pairs in the neat material. These charge pairs are characterized by location of the electron and hole on different Y6 molecules, in contrast to the Frenkel excitons that dominate the behavior of most organic semiconductor materials. Here, we summarize the current state of knowledge regarding Y6 photophysics and the key observations that have led to it. We then link this understanding to other advances, such as the role of quadrupolar fields in donor-acceptor blends, and the importance of molecular interactions and organization in providing the structural basis for Y6's properties. Finally, we turn our attention to ways of making use of the new photophysics of Y6, and suggest molecular doping, crystal structure tuning, and electric field engineering as promising avenues for future exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A. Hume
- School
of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria
University of Wellington, Wellington, 6012, New Zealand
- MacDiarmid
Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington, 6012, New Zealand
| | - Michael B. Price
- School
of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TS, United Kingdom
| | - Justin M. Hodgkiss
- School
of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria
University of Wellington, Wellington, 6012, New Zealand
- MacDiarmid
Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington, 6012, New Zealand
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14
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Patel K, Khatua R, Patrikar K, Mondal A. Exploring structure-property landscape of non-fullerene acceptors for organic solar cells. J Chem Phys 2024; 160:144709. [PMID: 38606738 DOI: 10.1063/5.0191650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
We present a comprehensive analysis of the structure-property relationship in small molecule non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) featuring an acceptor-donor-acceptor configuration employing state-of-the-art quantum chemical computational methods. Our focus lies in the strategic functionalization of halogen groups at the terminal positions of NFAs as an effective means to mitigate non-radiative voltage losses and augment photovoltaic and photophysical properties relevant to organic solar cells. Through photophysical studies, we observe a bathochromic shift in the visible region for all halogen-functionalized NFAs, except type-2, compared to the unmodified compound. Most of these functionalized compounds exhibit exciton binding energies below 0.3 eV and ΔLUMO less than 0.3 eV, indicating their potential as promising candidates for organic solar cells. Selected candidate structures undergo an analysis of charge transport properties using the semi-classical Marcus theory based on hopping transport formalism. Molecular dynamics simulations followed by charge transport simulations reveal an ambipolar nature of charge transport in the investigated NFAs, with equivalent hole and electron mobilities compared to the parent compound. Our findings underscore the crucial role of end-group functionalization in enhancing the photovoltaic and photophysical characteristics of NFAs, ultimately improving the overall performance of organic solar cells. This study advances our understanding of the structure-property relationships in NFAs and provides valuable insights into the design and optimization of organic solar cell materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khantil Patel
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382355, India
| | - Rudranarayan Khatua
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382355, India
| | - Kalyani Patrikar
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382355, India
| | - Anirban Mondal
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382355, India
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15
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Chang B, Zhang Y, Zhang C, Zhang M, Wang Q, Xu Z, Chen Q, Bai Y, Fu H, Meng S, Xue L, Kim S, Yang C, Yi Y, Zhang ZG. Tethered Trimeric Small-molecular Acceptors through Aromatic-core Engineering for Highly Efficient and Thermally Stable Polymer Solar Cells. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202400590. [PMID: 38318728 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202400590] [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: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Polymer solar cells (PSCs) rely on a blend of small molecular acceptors (SMAs) with polymer donors, where thermodynamic relaxation of SMAs poses critical concerns on operational stability. To tackle this issue, tethered SMAs, wherein multiple SMA-subunits are connected to the aromatic-core via flexible chains, are proposed. This design aims to an elevated glass transition temperature (Tg) for a dynamical control. However, attaining an elevated Tg value with additional SMA subunits introduces complexity to the molecular packing, posing a significant challenge in realizing both high stability and power conversion efficiency (PCE). In this study, we initiate isomer engineering on the benzene-carboxylate core and find that meta-positioned dimeric BDY-β exhibits more favorable molecular packing compared to its para-positioned counterpart, BDY-α. With this encouraging result, we expand our approach by introducing an additional SMA unit onto the aromatic core of BDY-β, maintaining a meta-position relative to each SMA unit location in the tethered acceptor. This systematic aromatic-core engineering results in a star-shaped C3h-positioned molecular geometry. The supramolecular interactions of SMA units in the trimer contribute to enhancements in Tg value, crystallinity, and a red-shifted absorption compared to dimers. These characteristics result in a noteworthy increase in PCE to 18.24 %, coupled with a remarkable short-circuit current density of 27.06 mA cm-2. More significantly, the trimer-based devices delivered an excellent thermal stability with over 95 % of their initial efficiency after 1200 h thermal degradation. Our findings underscore the promise and feasibility of tethered trimeric structures in achieving highly ordered aggregation behavior and increased Tg value in PSCs, simultaneously improving in device efficiency and thermal stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bowen Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Yaogang Zhang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Cen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Ming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Qingyuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Zheng'ao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Qi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Yang Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Hongyuan Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Shixin Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Lingwei Xue
- Yaoshan Laboratory, Pingdingshan University, Pingdingshan, Henan, 467000, P. R. China
| | - Seoyoung Kim
- Department of Energy Engineering, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Low Dimensional Carbon Materials Center, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 689-798, South Korea
| | - Changduk Yang
- Department of Energy Engineering, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Low Dimensional Carbon Materials Center, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 689-798, South Korea
| | - Yuanping Yi
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Zhi-Guo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
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16
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Kan Y, Sun Y, Ren Y, Xu Y, Jiang X, Shen H, Geng L, Li J, Cai P, Xu H, Gao K, Li Y. Amino-Functionalized Graphdiyne Derivative as a Cathode Interface Layer with High Thickness Tolerance for Highly Efficient Organic Solar Cells. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2312635. [PMID: 38229541 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202312635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Efficient cathode interfacial materials (CIMs) are essential components for effectively enhancing the performance of organic solar cells (OSCs). Although high-performance CIMs are desired to meet the requirements of various OSCs, potential candidates for CIMs are scarce. Herein, an amino-functionalized graphdiyne derivative (GDY-N) is developed, which represents the first example of GDY that exhibits favorable solubility in alcohol. Utilizing GDY-N as the CIM, an outstanding champion PCE of 19.30% for devices based on the D18-Cl:L8-BO (certified result: 19.05%) is achieved, which is among the highest efficiencies reported to date in OSCs. Remarkably, the devices based on GDY-N exhibit a thickness-insensitive characteristic, maintaining 95% of their initial efficiency even with a film thickness of 25 nm. Moreover, the GDY-N displays wide universality and facilitates exceptional stability in OSCs. This work not only enriches the diversity of GDY derivatives, but also demonstrates the feasibility of GDY derivatives as CIMs with high thickness tolerance in OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Kan
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Science of Material Creation and Energy Conversion, Science Center for Material Creation and Energy Conversion, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, P. R. China
| | - Yanna Sun
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Science of Material Creation and Energy Conversion, Science Center for Material Creation and Energy Conversion, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, P. R. China
| | - Yi Ren
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Science of Material Creation and Energy Conversion, Science Center for Material Creation and Energy Conversion, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, P. R. China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, 730070, P. R. China
| | - Yixuan Xu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Science of Material Creation and Energy Conversion, Science Center for Material Creation and Energy Conversion, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, P. R. China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering & Guangxi Key Laboratory of Information Materials, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin, 541004, P. R. China
| | - Xinyue Jiang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Science of Material Creation and Energy Conversion, Science Center for Material Creation and Energy Conversion, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, P. R. China
| | - Haojiang Shen
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Science of Material Creation and Energy Conversion, Science Center for Material Creation and Energy Conversion, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, P. R. China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, 730070, P. R. China
| | - Longlong Geng
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Monocrystalline Silicon Semiconductor Materials and Technology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Dezhou University, Dezhou, 253023, P. R. China
| | - Jianfeng Li
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, 730070, P. R. China
| | - Ping Cai
- School of Materials Science and Engineering & Guangxi Key Laboratory of Information Materials, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin, 541004, P. R. China
| | - Huajun Xu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Science of Material Creation and Energy Conversion, Science Center for Material Creation and Energy Conversion, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, P. R. China
| | - Ke Gao
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Science of Material Creation and Energy Conversion, Science Center for Material Creation and Energy Conversion, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, P. R. China
| | - Yuliang Li
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Science of Material Creation and Energy Conversion, Science Center for Material Creation and Energy Conversion, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, P. R. China
- Institute of Chemistry, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
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17
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Xu R, Jiang Y, Liu F, Ran G, Liu K, Zhang W, Zhu X. High Open-Circuit Voltage Organic Solar Cells with 19.2% Efficiency Enabled by Synergistic Side-Chain Engineering. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024:e2312101. [PMID: 38544433 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202312101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Restricted by the energy-gap law, state-of-the-art organic solar cells (OSCs) exhibit relatively low open-circuit voltage (VOC) because of large nonradiative energy losses (ΔEnonrad). Moreover, the trade-off between VOC and external quantum efficiency (EQE) of OSCs is more distinctive; the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of OSCs are still <15% with VOCs of >1.0 V. Herein, the electronic properties and aggregation behaviors of non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) are carefully considered and then a new NFA (Z19) is delicately designed by simultaneously introducing alkoxy and phenyl-substituted alkyl chains to the conjugated backbone. Z19 exhibits a hypochromatic-shifted absorption spectrum, high-lying lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy level and ordered 2D packing mode. The D18:Z19-based blend film exhibits favorable phase separation with face-on dominated molecular orientation, facilitating charge transport properties. Consequently, D18:Z19 binary devices afford an exciting PCE of 19.2% with a high VOC of 1.002 V, surpassing Y6-2O-based devices. The former is the highest PCE reported to date for OSCs with VOCs of >1.0 V. Moreover, the ΔEnonrad of Z19- (0.200 eV) and Y6-2O-based (0.155 eV) devices are lower than that of Y6-based (0.239 eV) devices. Indications are that the design of such NFA, considering the energy-gap law, could promote a new breakthrough in OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renjie Xu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Yuanyuan Jiang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Feng Liu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, 030006, P. R. China
| | - Guangliu Ran
- Department of Physics and Applied Optics Beijing Area Major Laboratory, Center for Advanced Quantum Studies, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, P. R. China
| | - Kerui Liu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Wenkai Zhang
- Department of Physics and Applied Optics Beijing Area Major Laboratory, Center for Advanced Quantum Studies, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, P. R. China
| | - Xiaozhang Zhu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
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18
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Mahadevan S, Liu T, Pratik SM, Li Y, Ho HY, Ouyang S, Lu X, Yip HL, Chow PCY, Brédas JL, Coropceanu V, So SK, Tsang SW. Assessing intra- and inter-molecular charge transfer excitations in non-fullerene acceptors using electroabsorption spectroscopy. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2393. [PMID: 38493131 PMCID: PMC10944474 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46462-x] [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: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Organic photovoltaic cells using Y6 non-fullerene acceptors have recently achieved high efficiency, and it was suggested to be attributed to the charge-transfer (CT) nature of the excitations in Y6 aggregates. Here, by combining electroabsorption spectroscopy measurements and electronic-structure calculations, we find that the charge-transfer character already exists in isolated Y6 molecules but is strongly increased when there is molecular aggregation. Surprisingly, it is found that the large enhanced charge transfer in clustered Y6 molecules is not due to an increase in excited-state dipole moment, Δμ, as observed in other organic systems, but due to a reduced polarizability change, Δp. It is proposed that such a strong charge-transfer character is promoted by the stabilization of the charge-transfer energy upon aggregation, as deduced from density functional theory and four-state model calculations. This work provides insight into the correlation between molecular electronic properties and charge-transfer characteristics in organic electronic materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudhi Mahadevan
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
- Centre of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
- Hong Kong Institute of Clean Energy, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
| | - Taili Liu
- College of Physics and Electronic Information, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, 650500, Yunnan, PR China
| | - Saied Md Pratik
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721-0041, USA
| | - Yuhao Li
- Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
| | - Hang Yuen Ho
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
- Centre of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
- Hong Kong Institute of Clean Energy, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
| | - Shanchao Ouyang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
- Centre of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
- Hong Kong Institute of Clean Energy, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
| | - Xinhui Lu
- Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
| | - Hin-Lap Yip
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
- Centre of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
- Hong Kong Institute of Clean Energy, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
- School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
| | - Philip C Y Chow
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
| | - Jean-Luc Brédas
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721-0041, USA
| | - Veaceslav Coropceanu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721-0041, USA
| | - Shu Kong So
- Department of Physics and Institute of Advanced Materials, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
| | - Sai-Wing Tsang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China.
- Centre of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China.
- Hong Kong Institute of Clean Energy, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China.
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19
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Yu R, Li S, Yuan H, Yang Z, Jin S, Tan Z. Research Advances of Nonfused Ring Acceptors for Organic Solar Cells. J Phys Chem Lett 2024:2781-2803. [PMID: 38441058 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.4c00153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
The last few decades have witnessed the rapid development of organic solar cells (OSCs). High power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of over 19% have been successfully achieved due to the emergence of fused-ring acceptors (FRAs). However, the high complexity and low yield for the material synthesis result in high production costs of FRAs, limiting the further commercial application of OSCs. In contrast, nonfused ring acceptors (NFRAs) with the merits of facile synthesis, high yield, and preferable stability can promote the development of low-cost OSCs. Currently, the PCEs of NFRAs-based OSCs have exceeded 17%, which is expected to reach efficiency comparable to that of the FRAs-based OSCs. This review describes the advantages of the recent advances in NFRAs, which emphasizes exploring how the chemical structures of NFRAs influence molecular conformation, aggregation, and packing modes. In addition, the further development of NFRA materials is prospected from molecular design, morphological control, and stability perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runnan Yu
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Shuang Li
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Haoyu Yuan
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Zongzhi Yang
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Shengli Jin
- Zhejiang Baima Lake Laboratory Co. Ltd., Hangzhou 310051, China
| | - Zhan'ao Tan
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
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20
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Chen J, Zhang G, Chen Z, Xiao J, Xia T, Li X, Yip HL. Fluorescent Conversion Agent Embedded in Zinc Oxide as an Electron-Transporting Layer for High-Performance Non-Fullerene Organic Solar Cells with Improved Photostability. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2306471. [PMID: 37919853 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202306471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Zinc oxide (ZnO) is widely used as an electron transporting layer (ETL) for organic solar cells (OSCs). Here, a low-cost commercial water/alcohol-soluble fluorescent conversion agent, sodium 2,2'-([1,1'-biphenyl]-4,4'-diyldivinylene)-bis(benzenesulfonate) (CBS), is incorporated into ZnO to develop a novel organic-inorganic hybrid ETL for high-performance OSCs. The photoinduced charge transfer from CBS to ZnO significantly improves the charge transport properties of ZnO, resulting in faster electron extraction and reduced charge recombination in OSC devices with ZnO:CBS ETLs. ZnO:CBS-based devices exhibit higher power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) than their pure ZnO-based counterparts, especially in devices with a thicker ETL, which is more suitable for roll-to-roll and large-area module processing. Furthermore, the strong ultraviolet-light absorption capability of CBS inhibits the photodegradation of the active layer, improving the photostability of ZnO:CBS based OSC devices. Therefore, this work provides a simple and effective strategy for realizing high-performance OSCs with high PCE and good photostability, which can further facilitate the commercialization of OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinxiang Chen
- School of Advanced Manufacturing, Fuzhou University, Quanzhou, 362000, China
| | - Guichuan Zhang
- School of Semiconductor Science and Technology, South China Normal University, Foshan, Guangdong, 528225, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chip and Integration Technology, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Zhen Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Jingyang Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Tian Xia
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Xin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Hin-Lap Yip
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China
- School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China
- Hong Kong Institute for Clean Energy, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China
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21
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Zhang Q, Liu T, Wilken S, Xiong S, Zhang H, Ribca I, Liao M, Liu X, Kroon R, Fabiano S, Gao F, Lawoko M, Bao Q, Österbacka R, Johansson M, Fahlman M. Industrial Kraft Lignin Based Binary Cathode Interface Layer Enables Enhanced Stability in High Efficiency Organic Solar Cells. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2307646. [PMID: 37812198 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202307646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Herein, a binary cathode interface layer (CIL) strategy based on the industrial solvent fractionated LignoBoost kraft lignin (KL) is adopted for fabrication of organic solar cells (OSCs). The uniformly distributed phenol moieties in KL enable it to easily form hydrogen bonds with commonly used CIL materials, i.e., bathocuproine (BCP) and PFN-Br, resulting in binary CILs with tunable work function (WF). This work shows that the binary CILs work well in OSCs with large KL ratio compatibility, exhibiting equivalent or even higher efficiency to the traditional CILs in state of art OSCs. In addition, the combination of KL and BCP significantly enhanced OSC stability, owing to KL blocking the reaction between BCP and nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs). This work provides a simple and effective way to achieve high-efficient OSCs with better stability and sustainability by using wood-based materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qilun Zhang
- Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Department of Science and Technology (ITN), Linköping University, Norrköping, SE-60174, Sweden
- Wallenberg Wood Science Center, Department of Science and Technology (ITN), Linköping University, Norrköping, SE-60174, Sweden
| | - Tiefeng Liu
- Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Department of Science and Technology (ITN), Linköping University, Norrköping, SE-60174, Sweden
| | - Sebastian Wilken
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, 20500, Finland
| | - Shaobing Xiong
- School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Huotian Zhang
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, Linköping, SE-58183, Sweden
| | - Iuliana Ribca
- Department of Fiber and Polymer Technology, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, SE- 10044, Sweden
| | - Mingna Liao
- Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Department of Science and Technology (ITN), Linköping University, Norrköping, SE-60174, Sweden
- Wallenberg Wood Science Center, Department of Science and Technology (ITN), Linköping University, Norrköping, SE-60174, Sweden
| | - Xianjie Liu
- Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Department of Science and Technology (ITN), Linköping University, Norrköping, SE-60174, Sweden
| | - Renee Kroon
- Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Department of Science and Technology (ITN), Linköping University, Norrköping, SE-60174, Sweden
- Wallenberg Wood Science Center, Department of Science and Technology (ITN), Linköping University, Norrköping, SE-60174, Sweden
| | - Simone Fabiano
- Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Department of Science and Technology (ITN), Linköping University, Norrköping, SE-60174, Sweden
- Wallenberg Wood Science Center, Department of Science and Technology (ITN), Linköping University, Norrköping, SE-60174, Sweden
| | - Feng Gao
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, Linköping, SE-58183, Sweden
| | - Martin Lawoko
- Department of Fiber and Polymer Technology, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, SE- 10044, Sweden
| | - Qinye Bao
- School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Ronald Österbacka
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, 20500, Finland
| | - Mats Johansson
- Department of Fiber and Polymer Technology, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, SE- 10044, Sweden
| | - Mats Fahlman
- Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Department of Science and Technology (ITN), Linköping University, Norrköping, SE-60174, Sweden
- Wallenberg Wood Science Center, Department of Science and Technology (ITN), Linköping University, Norrköping, SE-60174, Sweden
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22
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Deka R, Kalita DJ. Boosting the Performance of Diketopyrrolopyrrole-Triphenylamine-Based Organic Solar Cells via π-Linker Engineering. J Phys Chem A 2024. [PMID: 38422013 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.3c06439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
The design and development of novel and efficient donor-π-acceptor (D-π-A) type conjugated systems has attracted substantial interest in the field of organic electronics owing to their intriguing properties. In this paper, we have designed seven new and efficient D-π-A type conjugated systems (M1-M7) by a variety of π-linkers with triphenylamine (TPA) as the electron donor and diphenyldiketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) as the electron acceptor using density functional theory (DFT) formalism for organic solar cells (OSCs). The π-linker has been substituted between the donor and acceptor for efficient electron transfer. Here, our primary focus is on narrowing the highest occupied molecular orbital-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital gaps, electronic transition, charge transfer rate, reorganization energies, and the theoretical power conversion efficiencies (PCEs). Our study reveals that the designed compounds exhibit excellent charge transfer rates. The absorption properties of the compounds have been examined using the time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) method. The TD-DFT study shows that compound M2 possesses the highest absorption maxima with a maximum bathochromic shift. For a better understanding of the electron transport process of our designed compounds, we have designed donor/acceptor (D/A) blends, and each of the developed blends (FREA/M1-M7) can encourage charge carrier separation. According to the photovoltaic performance of the D/A blends, compound FREA-M2, which has a theoretical PCE of 16.53%, is the most appealing choice for use in OSCs. We expect that by thoroughly examining the relationship between structure, characteristics, and performance, this work will serve as a roadmap for future research and development of TPA-DPP-based photovoltaic materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rinki Deka
- Department of Chemistry, University of Gauhati, Guwahati 781014, India
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23
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Zhang H, Mao R, Yuan L, Wang Y, Liu W, Wang J, Tai H, Jiang Y. Near-Infrared Organic Photodetectors with Spectral Response over 1200 nm Adopting a Thieno[3,4- c]thiadiazole-Based Acceptor. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:9088-9097. [PMID: 38319245 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c15902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
The nonclassical ten-pi-electron 5,5-fused thieno[3,4-c]thiadiazole (TTD) unit is an excellent building block for constructing sub-silicon-band gap organic semiconductors. However, no small molecule acceptor (SMA) materials based on TTD have been reported despite the fact that high-sensitivity near-infrared organic photodetectors (OPDs) are generally achieved by using SMAs. In this work, we report a TTD-based narrow band gap (0.95 eV) SMA material TTD(DTC-2FIC)2 with strong near-infrared absorption. Employing PTB7-Th as a donor, OPDs based on TTD(DTC-2FIC)2 exhibit an optimized responsivity of 0.095 (±0.007) A W-1 at 1100 nm and sustain a decent responsivity of 0.074 (±0.008) A W-1 at 1200 nm. Moreover, a good specific detectivity over 1 × 1011 Jones is achieved at a wavelength of 1200 nm. Detailed characterizations imply that the performance of TTD(DTC-2FIC)2-based OPDs may be substantially improved by choosing lower-mixing donors with shallower energy levels. This work demonstrates that SMAs incorporating TTD as the core unit hold promise for constructing high-sensitivity sub-silicon-band gap OPDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanwen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, P. R. China
| | - Rui Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, P. R. China
| | - Liu Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, P. R. China
| | - Yang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, P. R. China
| | - Wei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, P. R. China
| | - Jiaqi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, P. R. China
| | - Huiling Tai
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, P. R. China
| | - Yadong Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, P. R. China
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24
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Gu X, Zeng R, He T, Zhou G, Li C, Yu N, Han F, Hou Y, Lv J, Zhang M, Zhang J, Wei Z, Tang Z, Zhu H, Cai Y, Long G, Liu F, Zhang X, Huang H. Simple-Structured Acceptor with Highly Interconnected Electron-Transport Pathway Enables High-Efficiency Organic Solar Cells. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024:e2401370. [PMID: 38373399 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202401370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Achieving desirable charge-transport highway is of vital importance for high-performance organic solar cells (OSCs). Here, it is shown how molecular packing arrangements can be regulated via tuning the alkyl-chain topology, thus resulting in a 3D network stacking and highly interconnected pathway for electron transport in a simple-structured nonfused-ring electron acceptor (NFREA) with branched alkyl side-chains. As a result, a record-breaking power conversion efficiency of 17.38% (certificated 16.59%) is achieved for NFREA-based devices, thus providing an opportunity for constructing low-cost and high-efficiency OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobin Gu
- College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, CAS Center for Excellence in Topological Quantum Computation, CAS Key Laboratory of Vacuum Physics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Rui Zeng
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, In-situ Center for Physical Science, and Center of Hydrogen Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Tengfei He
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, National Institute for Advanced Materials, Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Guanqing Zhou
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, In-situ Center for Physical Science, and Center of Hydrogen Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Congqi Li
- College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, CAS Center for Excellence in Topological Quantum Computation, CAS Key Laboratory of Vacuum Physics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Na Yu
- Center for Advanced Low-Dimension Materials State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Fei Han
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, In-situ Center for Physical Science, and Center of Hydrogen Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Yuqi Hou
- College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, CAS Center for Excellence in Topological Quantum Computation, CAS Key Laboratory of Vacuum Physics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Jikai Lv
- College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, CAS Center for Excellence in Topological Quantum Computation, CAS Key Laboratory of Vacuum Physics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Ming Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, In-situ Center for Physical Science, and Center of Hydrogen Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Jianqi Zhang
- Center for Excellence in Nanoscience (CAS), Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication (CAS), National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Zhixiang Wei
- Center for Excellence in Nanoscience (CAS), Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication (CAS), National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Zheng Tang
- Center for Advanced Low-Dimension Materials State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Haiming Zhu
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yunhao Cai
- College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, CAS Center for Excellence in Topological Quantum Computation, CAS Key Laboratory of Vacuum Physics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Guankui Long
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, National Institute for Advanced Materials, Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Feng Liu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, In-situ Center for Physical Science, and Center of Hydrogen Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, CAS Center for Excellence in Topological Quantum Computation, CAS Key Laboratory of Vacuum Physics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Hui Huang
- College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, CAS Center for Excellence in Topological Quantum Computation, CAS Key Laboratory of Vacuum Physics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
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25
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Zhu Y, He D, Wang C, Han X, Liu Z, Wang K, Zhang J, Shen X, Li J, Lin Y, Wang C, He Y, Zhao F. Suppressing Exciton-Vibration Coupling to Prolong Exciton Lifetime of Nonfullerene Acceptors Enables High-Efficiency Organic Solar Cells. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202316227. [PMID: 38179837 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202316227] [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: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
The limited exciton lifetime (τ, generally <1 ns) leads to short exciton diffusion length (LD ) of organic semiconductors, which is the bottleneck issue impeding the further improvement of power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) for organic solar cells (OSCs). However, efficient strategies to prolong intrinsic τ are rare and vague. Herein, we propose a facile method to efficiently reduce vibrational frequency of molecular skeleton and suppress exciton-vibration coupling to decrease non-radiative decay rate and thus prolong τ via deuterating nonfullerene acceptors. The τ remarkably increases from 0.90 ns (non-deuterated L8-BO) to 1.35 ns (deuterated L8-BO-D), which is the record for organic photovoltaic materials. Besides, the inhibited molecular vibration improves molecular planarity of L8-BO-D for enhanced exciton diffusion coefficient. Consequently, the LD increases from 7.9 nm (L8-BO) to 10.7 nm (L8-BO-D). The prolonged LD of L8-BO-D enables PM6 : L8-BO-D-based bulk heterojunction OSCs to acquire higher PCEs of 18.5 % with more efficient exciton dissociation and weaker charge carrier recombination than PM6 : L8-BO-based counterparts. Moreover, benefiting from the prolonged LD , D18/L8-BO-D-based pseudo-planar heterojunction OSCs achieve an impressive PCE of 19.3 %, which is among the highest values. This work provides an efficient strategy to increase the τ and thus LD of organic semiconductors, boosting PCEs of OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, P. R. China
| | - Dan He
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, P. R. China
| | - Chong Wang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids and Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Xiao Han
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Zesheng Liu
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids and Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Ke Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, P. R. China
| | - Jianqi Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Xingxing Shen
- College of Chemical Engineering, Hebei Normal University of Science & Technology, Qinhuangdao, 066004, P. R. China
| | - Jie Li
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids and Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Yuze Lin
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids and Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Chunru Wang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids and Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Yuehui He
- State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, P. R. China
| | - Fuwen Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, P. R. China
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26
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Peng J, Meng F, Cheng J, Lai X, Du M, Huang M, Zhang J, He F, Zhou E, Zhao D, Zhao B. Noncovalent Interaction Boosts Performance and Stability of Organic Solar Cells Based on Giant-Molecule Acceptors. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:7317-7326. [PMID: 38305907 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c18325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Designing giant-molecule acceptors is deemed as an up-and-coming strategy to construct stable organic solar cells (OSCs) with high performance. Herein, two giant dimeric acceptors, namely, DYV and DYFV, have been designed and synthesized by linking two Y-series derivatives with a vinyl unit. DYFV exhibits more red-shifted absorption, down-shifted energy levels, and enhanced intermolecular packing than DYV because the intramolecular noncovalent interaction (H···F) of DYFV leads to better coplanarity of the backbone. The D18:DYFV film owns a distinct nanofibrous nanophase separation structure, a more dominant face-on orientation, and more balanced carrier mobilities. Therefore, the D18:DYFV OSC achieves a higher photoelectron conversion efficiency of 17.88% and a longer-term stability with a t80 over 45,000 h compared with the D18:DYV device. The study demonstrates that the intramolecular noncovalent interaction is a superior strategy to design giant-molecule acceptors and boost the photovoltaic performance and stability of the OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxun Peng
- Key Laboratory for Green Organic Synthesis and Application of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Environmentally Friendly Chemistry and Application of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, China
| | - Fei Meng
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry College of Chemistry, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Jing Cheng
- Key Laboratory for Green Organic Synthesis and Application of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Environmentally Friendly Chemistry and Application of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, China
| | - Xue Lai
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Mengzhen Du
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Meihua Huang
- Key Laboratory for Green Organic Synthesis and Application of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Environmentally Friendly Chemistry and Application of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, China
| | - Jianqi Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Feng He
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Erjun Zhou
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Dongbing Zhao
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry College of Chemistry, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Bin Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Green Organic Synthesis and Application of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Environmentally Friendly Chemistry and Application of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, China
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27
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Salimian S, Anttu N. Optimized absorption of light in perovskite nanowire solar cells. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 35:175206. [PMID: 38266304 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ad2234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Metal halide perovskite nanowires (PrvNWs) have recently emerged as an interesting path for nanostructured solar cells. Here, we model the absorption of light in PrvNW arrays for varying diameter and length of the PrvNWs and period for the array by solving the Maxwell equations. For long enough bare PrvNW arrays, we find that the optimum diameter is fixed to that which places the absorption peak from the HE11waveguide mode in the PrvNWs to the vicinity of the bandgap wavelength. In contrast, when we include a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) top contact layer, the optimum diameter shifts to a larger value by 100 nm. The origin of this shift is traced to a reduced reflection at the interface between the TCO layer and the PrvNW array when the PrvNW's diameter is larger. Overall, we find that 1500 nm long PrvNWs can reach 90% of the broadband absorption potential, making this system of high interest for photovoltaics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Salimian
- Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, FI-20500 Turku, Finland
| | - Nicklas Anttu
- Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, FI-20500 Turku, Finland
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28
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Wei W, Zhang C, Chen Z, Chen W, Ran G, Pan G, Zhang W, Müller-Buschbaum P, Bo Z, Yang C, Luo Z. Precise Methylation Yields Acceptor with Hydrogen-Bonding Network for High-Efficiency and Thermally Stable Polymer Solar Cells. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202315625. [PMID: 38100221 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202315625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
Utilizing intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions stands for an effective approach in advancing the efficiency and stability of small-molecule acceptors (SMAs) for polymer solar cells. Herein, we synthesized three SMAs (Qo1, Qo2, and Qo3) using indeno[1,2-b]quinoxalin-11-one (Qox) as the electron-deficient group, with the incorporation of a methylation strategy. Through crystallographic analysis, it is observed that two Qox-based methylated acceptors (Qo2 and Qo3) exhibit multiple hydrogen bond-assisted 3D network transport structures, in contrast to the 2D transport structure observed in gem-dichlorinated counterpart (Qo4). Notably, Qo2 exhibits multiple and stronger hydrogen-bonding interactions compared with Qo3. Consequently, PM6 : Qo2 device realizes the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.4 %, surpassing the efficiencies of devices based on Qo1 (15.8 %), Qo3 (16.7 %), and Qo4 (2.4 %). This remarkable PCE in PM6 : Qo2 device can be primarily ascribed to the enhanced donor-acceptor miscibility, more favorable medium structure, and more efficient charge transfer and collection behavior. Moreover, the PM6 : Qo2 device demonstrates exceptional thermal stability, retaining 82.8 % of its initial PCE after undergoing annealing at 65 °C for 250 hours. Our research showcases that precise methylation, particularly targeting the formation of intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions to tune crystal packing patterns, represents a promising strategy in the molecular design of efficient and stable SMAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weifei Wei
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of New Information Display and Storage Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
| | - Cai'e Zhang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of New Information Display and Storage Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
- Key Laboratory of Energy Conversion and Storage Materials, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, 100875, Beijing, China
| | - Zhanxiang Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of New Information Display and Storage Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Ultraintense Laser and Advanced Material Technology, Center for Advanced Material Diagnostic Technology, and College of Engineering Physics, Shenzhen Technology University, 518118, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guangliu Ran
- Department of Physics and Applied Optics Beijing Area Major Laboratory, Beijing Normal University, 100875, Beijing, China
| | - Guangjiu Pan
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Department of Physics, Chair for Functional Materials, James-Franck-Str. 1, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Wenkai Zhang
- Department of Physics and Applied Optics Beijing Area Major Laboratory, Beijing Normal University, 100875, Beijing, China
| | - Peter Müller-Buschbaum
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Department of Physics, Chair for Functional Materials, James-Franck-Str. 1, 85748, Garching, Germany
- Technical University of Munich, Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ), Lichtenbergstraße 1, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Zhishan Bo
- Key Laboratory of Energy Conversion and Storage Materials, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, 100875, Beijing, China
| | - Chuluo Yang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of New Information Display and Storage Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhenghui Luo
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of New Information Display and Storage Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
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29
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Yang N, Zhang T, Wang S, An C, Seibt S, Wang G, Wang J, Yang Y, Wang W, Xiao Y, Yao H, Zhang S, Ma W, Hou J. An Ortho-Bisalkyloxylated Benzene-Based Fully Non-fused Electron Acceptor for Efficient Organic Photovoltaic Cells. SMALL METHODS 2024; 8:e2300036. [PMID: 37092533 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202300036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
To develop the low-cost nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs), two fully non-fused NFAs (TBT-2 and TBT-6) with ortho-bis((2-ethylhexyl)oxy)benzene unit and different side chains onto thiophene-bridges are synthesized through highly efficient synthetic procedures. Both acceptors show good planarity, low optical gaps (≈1.51 eV), and deep highest occupied molecular orbital levels (≤-5.77 eV). More importantly, the single-crystal structure of TBT-2 shows compact molecular arrangement due to the existence of intramolecular interactions between adjacent aromatic units and strong π-π stacking between intermolecular terminal groups. When the two acceptors are fabricated organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells by combining with a wide optical gap polymer donor, the TBT-6 with strong crystallization forms large domain sizes in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) blend. As a result, the TBT-6-based OPV cell shows a low power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 9.53%. In contrast, the TBT-2 with proper crystallization facilitates morphological optimization in the BHJ blend. Consequently, the TBT-2-based OPV cell gives an outstanding PCE of 13.25%, which is one of the best values among OPV cells with similar optical gaps. Overall, this work provides a practical molecular design strategy for developing high-performance and low-cost electron acceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ni Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Shijie Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Cunbin An
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Susanne Seibt
- Australian Synchrotron, ANSTO, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia
| | - Guanlin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jingwen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yi Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Wenxuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yang Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Huifeng Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Shaoqing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Wei Ma
- State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Jianhui Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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30
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Zhang M, Chang B, Zhang R, Li S, Liu X, Zeng L, Chen Q, Wang L, Yang L, Wang H, Liu J, Gao F, Zhang ZG. Tethered Small-Molecule Acceptor Refines Hierarchical Morphology in Ternary Polymer Solar Cells: Enhanced Stability and 19% Efficiency. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2308606. [PMID: 37816121 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202308606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
Polymer solar cells (PSCs) are promising for efficient solar energy conversion, but achieving high efficiency and device longevity within a bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) structure remains a challenge. Traditional small-molecule acceptors (SMAs) in the BHJ blend show thermodynamic instability affecting the morphology. In contrast, tethered SMAs exhibit higher glass transition temperatures, mitigating these concerns. Yet, they might not integrate well with polymer donors, causing pronounced phase separation and overpurification of mixed domains. Herein, a novel ternary device is introduced that uses DY-P2EH, a tethered dimeric SMA with conjugated side-chains as host acceptor, and BTP-ec9, a monomeric SMA as secondary acceptor, which respectively possess hypomiscibility and hypermiscibility with the polymer donor PM6. This unique combination affords a parallel-connected ternary BHJ blend, leading to a hierarchical and stable morphology. The ternary device achieves a remarkable fill factor of 80.61% and an impressive power conversion efficiency of 19.09%. Furthermore, the ternary device exhibits exceptional stability, retaining over 85% of its initial efficiency even after enduring 1100 h of thermal stress at 85 °C. These findings highlight the potential advantage of tethered SMAs in the design of ternary devices with a refined hierarchical structure for more efficient and durable solar energy conversion technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Bowen Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Department of Physics, Biomolecular and organic electronics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, Linköping, SE-58183, Sweden
| | - Shangyu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Xinpeng Liu
- School of Electronics and Information, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710072, China
| | - Liang Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Qi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
- CAS Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of, Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Liangrong Yang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Haiqiao Wang
- Beijing Engineering Research Center for the Synthesis and Applications of Waterborne Polymers, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Jiangang Liu
- School of Electronics and Information, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710072, China
| | - Feng Gao
- Department of Physics, Biomolecular and organic electronics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, Linköping, SE-58183, Sweden
| | - Zhi-Guo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
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31
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Lüer L, Wang R, Liu C, Dube H, Heumüller T, Hauch J, Brabec CJ. Maximizing Performance and Stability of Organic Solar Cells at Low Driving Force for Charge Separation. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2305948. [PMID: 38039433 PMCID: PMC10853714 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202305948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
Thanks to the development of novel electron acceptor materials, the power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices are now approaching 20%. Further improvement of PCE is complicated by the need for a driving force to split strongly bound excitons into free charges, causing voltage losses. This review discusses recent approaches to finding efficient OPV systems with minimal driving force, combining near unity quantum efficiency (maximum short circuit currents) with optimal energy efficiency (maximum open circuit voltages). The authors discuss apparently contradicting results on the amount of exciton binding in recent literature, and approaches to harmonize the findings. A comprehensive view is then presented on motifs providing a driving force for charge separation, namely hybridization at the donor:acceptor interface and polarization effects in the bulk, of which quadrupole moments (electrostatics) play a leading role. Apart from controlling the energies of the involved states, these motifs also control the dynamics of recombination processes, which are essential to avoid voltage and fill factor losses. Importantly, all motifs are shown to depend on both molecular structure and process conditions. The resulting high dimensional search space advocates for high throughput (HT) workflows. The final part of the review presents recent HT studies finding consolidated structure-property relationships in OPV films and devices from various deposition methods, from research to industrial upscaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larry Lüer
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i‐MEET)Friedrich‐Alexander‐Universität Erlangen‐NürnbergMartensstrasse 791058ErlangenGermany
| | - Rong Wang
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i‐MEET)Friedrich‐Alexander‐Universität Erlangen‐NürnbergMartensstrasse 791058ErlangenGermany
- Erlangen Graduate School in Advanced Optical Technologies (SAOT)Paul‐Gordan‐Straße 691052ErlangenGermany
| | - Chao Liu
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i‐MEET)Friedrich‐Alexander‐Universität Erlangen‐NürnbergMartensstrasse 791058ErlangenGermany
| | - Henry Dube
- Department Chemistry and PharmacyFriedrich‐Alexander‐Universität Erlangen‐NürnbergNikolaus‐Fiebiger‐Straße 1091058ErlangenGermany
| | - Thomas Heumüller
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i‐MEET)Friedrich‐Alexander‐Universität Erlangen‐NürnbergMartensstrasse 791058ErlangenGermany
| | - Jens Hauch
- Helmholtz‐Institute Erlangen‐Nürnberg (HI‐ERN)Immerwahrstraße 291058ErlangenGermany
| | - Christoph J. Brabec
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i‐MEET)Friedrich‐Alexander‐Universität Erlangen‐NürnbergMartensstrasse 791058ErlangenGermany
- Helmholtz‐Institute Erlangen‐Nürnberg (HI‐ERN)Immerwahrstraße 291058ErlangenGermany
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32
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Zhang KN, Du XY, Yan L, Pu YJ, Tajima K, Wang X, Hao XT. Organic Photovoltaic Stability: Understanding the Role of Engineering Exciton and Charge Carrier Dynamics from Recent Progress. SMALL METHODS 2024; 8:e2300397. [PMID: 37204077 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202300397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Benefiting from the synergistic development of material design, device engineering, and the mechanistic understanding of device physics, the certified power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of single-junction non-fullerene organic solar cells (OSCs) have already reached a very high value of exceeding 19%. However, in addition to PCEs, the poor stability is now a challenging obstacle for commercial applications of organic photovoltaics (OPVs). Herein, recent progress made in exploring operational mechanisms, anomalous photoelectric behaviors, and improving long-term stability in non-fullerene OSCs are highlighted from a novel and previously largely undiscussed perspective of engineering exciton and charge carrier pathways. Considering the intrinsic connection among multiple temporal-scale photocarrier dynamics, multi-length scale morphologies, and photovoltaic performance in OPVs, this review delineates and establishes a comprehensive and in-depth property-function relationship for evaluating the actual device stability. Moreover, this review has also provided some valuable photophysical insights into employing the advanced characterization techniques such as transient absorption spectroscopy and time-resolved fluorescence imagings. Finally, some of the remaining major challenges related to this topic are proposed toward the further advances of enhancing long-term operational stability in non-fullerene OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang-Ning Zhang
- School of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250100, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Yan Du
- School of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250100, P. R. China
| | - Lei Yan
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, P. R. China
| | - Yong-Jin Pu
- RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS), 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Keisuke Tajima
- RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS), 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Xingzhu Wang
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, P. R. China
- School of Electrical Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Tao Hao
- School of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250100, P. R. China
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science, School of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
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33
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He D, Zhou J, Zhu Y, Li Y, Wang K, Li J, Zhang J, Li B, Lin Y, He Y, Wang C, Zhao F. Manipulating Vertical Phase Separation Enables Pseudoplanar Heterojunction Organic Solar Cells Over 19% Efficiency via Ternary Polymerization. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2308909. [PMID: 37939009 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202308909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Controlling vertical phase separation of the active layer to enable efficient exciton dissociation and charge carrier transport is crucial to boost power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of pseudoplanar heterojunction (PPHJ) organic solar cells (OSCs). However, how to optimize the vertical phase separation of PPHJ OSCs via molecule design is rarely reported yet. Herein, ternary polymerization strategy is employed to develop a series of polymer donors, DL1-DL4, and regulate their solubility, molecular aggregation, molecular orientation, and miscibility, thus efficiently manipulating vertical phase separation in PPHJ OSCs. Among them, DL1 not only has enhanced solubility, inhibited molecular aggregation and partial edge-on orientation to facilitate acceptor molecules, Y6, to permeate into polymer layer and increase donor/acceptor interfaces, but also sustains high crystallinity and appropriate miscibility with Y6 to acquire ordered molecular packing, thus achieving optimized vertical phase separation to well juggle exciton dissociation and charge transport in PPHJ devices. Therefore, DL1/Y6 based PPHJ OSCs gain the best exciton dissociation probability, highest charge carrier mobilities and weakest charge recombination, and thus afford an impressive PCE of 19.10%, which is the record value for terpolymer donors. It demonstrates that ternary polymerization is an efficient method to optimize vertical phase separation in PPHJ OSCs for high PCEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan He
- State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, P. R. China
| | - Jixiang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, P. R. China
| | - Yufan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, P. R. China
| | - Yawen Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids and Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Ke Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, P. R. China
| | - Jie Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids and Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Jianqi Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Bao Li
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, P. R. China
| | - Yuze Lin
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids and Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Yuehui He
- State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, P. R. China
| | - Chunru Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids and Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Fuwen Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, P. R. China
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34
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Richards R, Song Y, O’Connor L, Wang X, Dailing EA, Bragg AE, Ayzner AL. Exciton Transfer Between Extended Electronic States in Conjugated Inter-Polyelectrolyte Complexes. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16. [PMID: 38289236 PMCID: PMC11056932 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c14657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Artificial light harvesting, a process that involves converting sunlight into chemical potential energy, is considered to be a promising part of the overall solution to address urgent global energy challenges. Conjugated polyelectrolyte complexes (CPECs) are particularly attractive for this purpose due to their extended electronic states, tunable assembly thermodynamics, and sensitivity to their local environment. Importantly, ionically assembled complexes of conjugated polyelectrolytes can act as efficient donor-acceptor pairs for electronic energy transfer (EET). However, to be of use in material applications, we must understand how modifying the chemical structure of the CPE backbone alters the EET rate beyond spectral overlap considerations. In this report we investigate the dependence of the EET efficiency and rate on the electronic structure and excitonic wave function of the CPE backbone. To do so, we synthesized a series of alternating copolymers where the electronic states are systematically altered by introducing comonomers with electron withdrawing and electron-rich character while keeping the linear ionic charge density nearly fixed. We find evidence that the excitonic coupling may be significantly affected by the exciton delocalization radius, in accordance with analytical models based on the line-dipole approximation and quantum chemistry calculations. Our results imply that care should be taken when selecting CPE components for optimal CPEC EET. These results have implications for using CPECs as key components in water-based light-harvesting materials, either as standalone assemblies or as adsorbates on nanoparticles and thin films.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael Richards
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of California Santa Cruz, Santa
Cruz, California 95064, United States
| | - Yuqi Song
- Department
of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Luke O’Connor
- Department
of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Xiao Wang
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of California Santa Cruz, Santa
Cruz, California 95064, United States
| | - Eric A. Dailing
- The
Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720,United States
| | - Arthur E. Bragg
- Department
of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Alexander L. Ayzner
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of California Santa Cruz, Santa
Cruz, California 95064, United States
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35
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Li Q, Wu J, Guo Q, Qin L, Xue L, Geng Y, Li X, Zhang ZG, Yan Q, Zhou E. Effect of Number and Position of Chlorine Atoms on the Photovoltaic Performance of Asymmetric Nonfullerene Acceptors. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:3755-3763. [PMID: 38190611 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c15518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
It has been well proved that the introduction of halogen can effectively modify the optoelectronic properties of classic symmetric nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs). However, the relevant studies for asymmetric NFAs are limited, especially the effect of halogen substitution number and position on the photovoltaic performance is not clear. In this work, four asymmetric NFAs with A-D-A1-A2 structure are developed by tuning the number and position of chlorine atoms on the 1,1-dicyanomethylene-3-indanone end groups, namely, A303, A304, A305, and A306. The related NFAs show progressively deeper energy levels and red-shifted absorption spectra as the degree of chlorination increases. The PM6:A306-constructed organic solar cells (OSCs) give a champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 13.03%. This is mainly ascribed to the most efficient exciton dissociation and collection, suppressed charge recombination, and optimal morphology. Moreover, by alternating the substitution position, the PM6:A305-based device yielded a higher PCE of 12.53% than that of PM6:A304 (12.05%). This work offers fresh insights into establishing excellent asymmetric NFAs for OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingbin Li
- Institute of Nuclear Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Pingdingshan University, Pingdingshan, Henan 467000, China
| | - Jiang Wu
- Henan Institute of Advanced Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450003, China
| | - Qing Guo
- Henan Institute of Advanced Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450003, China
| | - Linjiao Qin
- Henan Institute of Advanced Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450003, China
| | - Lingwei Xue
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Pingdingshan University, Pingdingshan, Henan 467000, China
| | - Yanfang Geng
- National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Xiangyu Li
- Henan Institute of Advanced Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450003, China
| | - Zhi-Guo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Qingzhi Yan
- Institute of Nuclear Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Erjun Zhou
- National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
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36
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Elsayed MH, Abdellah M, Alhakemy AZ, Mekhemer IMA, Aboubakr AEA, Chen BH, Sabbah A, Lin KH, Chiu WS, Lin SJ, Chu CY, Lu CH, Yang SD, Mohamed MG, Kuo SW, Hung CH, Chen LC, Chen KH, Chou HH. Overcoming small-bandgap charge recombination in visible and NIR-light-driven hydrogen evolution by engineering the polymer photocatalyst structure. Nat Commun 2024; 15:707. [PMID: 38267492 PMCID: PMC10808228 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45085-6] [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: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Designing an organic polymer photocatalyst for efficient hydrogen evolution with visible and near-infrared (NIR) light activity is still a major challenge. Unlike the common behavior of gradually increasing the charge recombination while shrinking the bandgap, we present here a series of polymer nanoparticles (Pdots) based on ITIC and BTIC units with different π-linkers between the acceptor-donor-acceptor (A-D-A) repeated moieties of the polymer. These polymers act as an efficient single polymer photocatalyst for H2 evolution under both visible and NIR light, without combining or hybridizing with other materials. Importantly, the difluorothiophene (ThF) π-linker facilitates the charge transfer between acceptors of different repeated moieties (A-D-A-(π-Linker)-A-D-A), leading to the enhancement of charge separation between D and A. As a result, the PITIC-ThF Pdots exhibit superior hydrogen evolution rates of 279 µmol/h and 20.5 µmol/h with visible (>420 nm) and NIR (>780 nm) light irradiation, respectively. Furthermore, PITIC-ThF Pdots exhibit a promising apparent quantum yield (AQY) at 700 nm (4.76%).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Hammad Elsayed
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Nasr City, 11884, Cairo, Egypt
- Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
- Center for Condensed Matter Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan
| | - Mohamed Abdellah
- Department of Chemistry, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Chemistry, Qena Faculty of Science, South Valley University, 83523, Qena, Egypt
- Chemical Physics and NanoLund, Lund University, 22100, Lund, Sweden
| | - Ahmed Zaki Alhakemy
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Assiut, 71542, Egypt
| | - Islam M A Mekhemer
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan
| | - Ahmed Esmail A Aboubakr
- Sustainable Chemical Science and Technology, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, 30010, Taiwan
- Institute of Chemistry, Academia Sinica, 128 Sec 2 Academia Rd., Nankang, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Bo-Han Chen
- Institute of Photonics Technologies, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan
| | - Amr Sabbah
- Center for Condensed Matter Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
- Center of Atomic Initiative for New Materials, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Kun-Han Lin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Sheng Chiu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 40227, Taiwan
| | - Sheng-Jie Lin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 40227, Taiwan
| | - Che-Yi Chu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 40227, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Hsuan Lu
- Institute of Photonics Technologies, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan
| | - Shang-Da Yang
- Institute of Photonics Technologies, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan
| | - Mohamed Gamal Mohamed
- Department of Materials and Optoelectronic Science, Center for Functional Polymers and Supramolecular Materials, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Shiao-Wei Kuo
- Department of Materials and Optoelectronic Science, Center for Functional Polymers and Supramolecular Materials, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Hsiung Hung
- Institute of Chemistry, Academia Sinica, 128 Sec 2 Academia Rd., Nankang, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Li-Chyong Chen
- Center for Condensed Matter Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
- Center of Atomic Initiative for New Materials, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
- Department of Physics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Kuei-Hsien Chen
- Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
- Center for Condensed Matter Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Ho-Hsiu Chou
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan.
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37
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Zhang C, Song J, Ye L, Li X, Jee MH, Woo HY, Sun Y. Simple and Efficient Synthesis of Novel Tetramers with Enhanced Glass Transition Temperature for High-Performance and Stable Organic Solar Cells. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202316295. [PMID: 38057496 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202316295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Oligomer acceptors in organic solar cells (OSCs) have garnered substantial attention owing to their impressive power conversion efficiency (PCE) and long-term stability. However, the simple and efficient synthesis of oligomer acceptors with higher glass transition temperatures (Tg ) remains a formidable challenge. In this study, we propose an innovative strategy for the synthesis of tetramers, denoted as Tet-n, with elevated Tg s, achieved through only two consecutive Stille coupling reactions. Importantly, our strategy significantly reduces the redundancy in reaction steps compared to conventional methods for linear tetramer synthesis, thereby improving both reaction efficiency and yield. Furthermore, the OSC based on PM6:Tet-1 attains a high PCE of 17.32 %, and the PM6:L8-BO:Tet-1 ternary device achieves an even more higher PCE of 19.31 %. Remarkably, the binary device based on the Tet-1 tetramer demonstrates outstanding operational stability, retaining 80 % of the initial efficiency (T80 ) even after 1706 h of continuous illumination, which is primarily attributed to the enhanced Tg (247 °C) and lower diffusion coefficient (1.56×10-27 cm2 s-1 ). This work demonstrates the effectiveness of our proposed approach in the straightforward and efficient synthesis of tetramers materials with higher Tg s, thus offering a viable pathway for developing high-efficiency and stable OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Zhang
- School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, P. R. China
| | - Jiali Song
- School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, P. R. China
| | - Linglong Ye
- School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoming Li
- School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, P. R. China
| | - Min Hun Jee
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul, 136-713, Republic of Korea
| | - Han Young Woo
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul, 136-713, Republic of Korea
| | - Yanming Sun
- School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, P. R. China
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38
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Liu F, Jiang Y, Xu R, Su W, Wang S, Zhang Y, Liu K, Xu S, Zhang W, Yi Y, Ma W, Zhu X. Nonfullerene Acceptor Featuring Unique Self-Regulation Effect for Organic Solar Cells with 19 % Efficiency. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202313791. [PMID: 38050643 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202313791] [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: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
The blend nanomorphology of electron-donor (D) and -acceptor (A) materials is of vital importance to achieving highly efficient organic solar cells. Exogenous additives especially aromatic additives are always needed to further optimize the nanomorphology of blend films, which is hardly compatible with industrial manufacture. Herein, we proposed a unique approach to meticulously modulate the aggregation behavior of NFAs in both crystal and thin film nanomorphology via self-regulation effect. Nonfullerene acceptor Z9 was designed and synthesized by tethering phenyl groups on the inner side chains of the Y6 backbone. Compared with Y6, the tethered phenyl groups participated in the molecular aggregation via the π-π stacking of phenyl-phenyl and phenyl-2-(5,6-difluoro-3-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-ylidene)malononitrile (IC-2F) groups, which induced 3D charge transport with phenyl-mediated super-exchange electron coupling. Moreover, ordered molecular packing with suitable phase separation was observed in Z9-based blend films. High power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 19.0 % (certified PCE of 18.6 %) for Z9-based devices were achieved without additives, indicating the great potential of the self-regulation strategy in NFA design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Liu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory for Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, 030006, China
| | - Yuanyuan Jiang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory for Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Renjie Xu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory for Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Wenli Su
- Department of Physics and Applied Optics Beijing Area Major Laboratory, Center for Advanced Quantum Studies, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Shijie Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Yaogang Zhang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory for Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Kerui Liu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory for Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Shengjie Xu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory for Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Wenkai Zhang
- Department of Physics and Applied Optics Beijing Area Major Laboratory, Center for Advanced Quantum Studies, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Yuanping Yi
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory for Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemical Sciences, 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
| | - Xiaozhang Zhu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory for Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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39
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Hou X, Coker JF, Yan J, Shi X, Azzouzi M, Eisner FD, McGettrick JD, Tuladhar SM, Abrahams I, Frost JM, Li Z, Dennis TJS, Nelson J. Structure-Property Relationships for the Electronic Applications of Bis-Adduct Isomers of Phenyl-C 61 Butyric Acid Methyl Ester. CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS : A PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 2024; 36:425-438. [PMID: 38222935 PMCID: PMC10782444 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.3c02353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Higher adducts of a fullerene, such as the bis-adduct of PCBM (bis-PCBM), can be used to achieve shallower molecular orbital energy levels than, for example, PCBM or C60. Substituting the bis-adduct for the parent fullerene is useful to increase the open-circuit voltage of organic solar cells or achieve better energy alignment as electron transport layers in, for example, perovskite solar cells. However, bis-PCBM is usually synthesized as a mixture of structural isomers, which can lead to both energetic and morphological disorder, negatively affecting device performance. Here, we present a comprehensive study on the molecular properties of 19 pure bis-isomers of PCBM using a variety of characterization methods, including ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, single crystal structure, and (time-dependent) density functional theory calculation. We find that the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of such bis-isomers can be tuned to be up to 170 meV shallower than PCBM and up to 100 meV shallower than the mixture of unseparated isomers. The isolated bis-isomers also show an electron mobility in organic field-effect transistors of up to 4.5 × 10-2 cm2/(V s), which is an order of magnitude higher than that of the mixture of bis-isomers. These properties enable the fabrication of the highest performing bis-PCBM organic solar cell to date, with the best device showing a power conversion efficiency of 7.2%. Interestingly, we find that the crystallinity of bis-isomers correlates negatively with electron mobility and organic solar cell device performance, which we relate to their molecular symmetry, with a lower symmetry leading to more amorphous bis-isomers, less energetic disorder, and higher dimensional electron transport. This work demonstrates the potential of side chain engineering for optimizing the performance of fullerene-based organic electronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyan Hou
- Department
of Physics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
- School
of Physical and Chemical Sciences, Queen
Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, U.K.
| | - Jack F. Coker
- Department
of Physics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
| | - Jun Yan
- Department
of Physics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
- School
of Science and Engineering, The Chinese
University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province 518172, P. R. China
| | - Xingyuan Shi
- Department
of Physics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
| | - Mohammed Azzouzi
- Department
of Physics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
| | - Flurin D. Eisner
- Department
of Physics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
| | | | | | - Isaac Abrahams
- School
of Physical and Chemical Sciences, Queen
Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, U.K.
| | - Jarvist M. Frost
- Department
of Physics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
| | - Zhe Li
- School
of Engineering and Materials Sciences, Queen
Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, U.K.
| | - T. John S. Dennis
- Department
of Chemistry, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool
University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Jenny Nelson
- Department
of Physics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
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40
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Fan B, Gao H, Jen AKY. Biaxially Conjugated Materials for Organic Solar Cells. ACS NANO 2024; 18:136-154. [PMID: 38146694 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c11193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
Organic solar cells (OSCs) represent one of the most important emerging photovoltaic technologies that can implement solar energy conversion efficiently. The chemical structure of organic semiconductors deployed in the active layer of OSCs plays a critical role in the photovoltaic performance and chemical/physical stability of relevant devices. With the structure innovation of organic semiconductors, especially nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs), the performance of OSCs have been promoted rapidly in recent years, with state-of-the-art power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) exceeding 19.5%. Compared with other photovoltaics like perovskite, the shortcoming of OSCs mainly lies in the high nonradiative recombination loss. However, the photocurrent density is superior in OSCs owing to the easy modulation of the NFA band gap toward the near-infrared region. In these regards, the effort to further boost the PCE of OSCs to achieve a milestone >21% should be devoted to reducing the nonradiative loss while further broadening the absorption band. Developing organic semiconductors with biaxially extended conjugated structures has provided a potential solution to achieve these goals. Herein, we summarize the design rules and performance progress of biaxially extended conjugated materials for OSCs. The descriptions are divided into two major categories, i.e., polymers and NFAs. For p-type polymers, we focus on the biaxial conjugation on some representative building blocks, e.g., polythiophene, triphenylamine, and quinoxaline. Whereas for n-type polymers, some structures with large conjugated planes in the normal direction are presented. We also elaborate on the biaxial conjugation strategies in NFAs with modification site at either the π-core or side-group. The general structure-property relationships are further retrieved within these materials, with focus on the short-wavelength absorption and nonradiative energy loss. Finally, we provide an outlook for the further structure modification strategies of biaxially conjugated materials toward highly efficient, stable, and industry-compatible OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baobing Fan
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
- Institute of Clean Energy, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Huanhuan Gao
- Institute of Clean Energy, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
- College of New Energy, Xi'an Shiyou University, Shaanxi, Xi'an 710065, China
- Department of Material Science & Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Alex K-Y Jen
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
- Institute of Clean Energy, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
- Department of Material Science & Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195 United States
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
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41
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He D, Li Y, Zhao F, Lin Y. Trap suppression in ordered organic photovoltaic heterojunctions. Chem Commun (Camb) 2024; 60:364-373. [PMID: 38099599 DOI: 10.1039/d3cc05559k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
The high trap density (generally 1016-1018 cm-3) in organic solar cells (OSCs) brings about the localization of charge carriers and reduced charge carrier lifetime, mainly due to the weak intermolecular interactions of organic semiconductors resulting in their relatively poor crystallinity, which leads to low charge carrier mobilities and intense non-radiative recombination, thus impeding the further improvement of power conversion efficiencies (PCEs). Therefore, trap suppression is crucial to boost the performance of OSCs, and improving the crystallinity of donor/acceptor materials and enhancing the molecular order in devices can contribute to the trap suppression in OSCs. In this feature article, we summarize the recent advances of trap suppression in OSCs by material design and device engineering, and further outline possible development directions for trap suppression to enhance PCEs of OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan He
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, P. R. China.
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China.
| | - Yawen Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
| | - Fuwen Zhao
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, P. R. China.
| | - Yuze Lin
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
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42
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Liu X, Zhang Z, Wang C, Zhang C, Liang S, Fang H, Wang B, Tang Z, Xiao C, Li W. A Pyrene-Fused Dimerized Acceptor for Ternary Organic Solar Cells with 19% Efficiency and High Thermal Stability. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202316039. [PMID: 37983686 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202316039] [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: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
A pyrene-fused dimerized electron acceptor has been successfully synthesized and subsequently incorporated as the third component in ternary organic solar cells (OSCs). Diverging from the traditional dimerized acceptors with a linear configuration, this novel electron acceptor displays a distinctive "butterfly-like" structure, comprising two Y-acceptors as wings fused with a pyrene-based backbone. The extended π-conjugated backbone and the electron-donating nature of pyrene enable the new acceptor to show low solubility, elevated glass transition temperature (Tg ), and low-lying frontier energy levels. Consequently, the new dimerized acceptor seamlessly integrates as the third component into ternary OSCs, enhancing electron transporting properties, reducing non-radiative voltage loss, and elevating open-circuit voltage. These merits have enabled the ternary OSCs to show an exceptional efficiency of 19.07%, a marked improvement compared to the 17.6% attained in binary OSCs. More importantly, the high Tg exhibited by the pyrene-fused electron acceptor helps to stabilize the morphology of the photoactive layer thermal-treated at 70 °C, retaining 88.7% efficiency over 600 hours. For comparison, binary OSCs experience a decline to 73.7% efficiency after the same duration. These results indicate that the "butterfly-like" design and the incorporation of a pyrene unit is a promising strategy in the development of dimerized electron acceptors for OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xucong Liu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering & State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Zhou Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering & State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Chao Wang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering & State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Cuifen Zhang
- Center for Advanced Low-dimension Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, P. R. China
| | - Shijie Liang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering & State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Haisheng Fang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering & State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Bo Wang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering & State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Zheng Tang
- Center for Advanced Low-dimension Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, P. R. China
| | - Chengyi Xiao
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering & State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Weiwei Li
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering & State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
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43
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Wessling R, Delgado Andrés R, Morhenn I, Acker P, Maftuhin W, Walter M, Würfel U, Esser B. Phenothiazine-Based Donor-Acceptor Polymers as Multifunctional Materials for Charge Storage and Solar Energy Conversion. Macromol Rapid Commun 2024; 45:e2200699. [PMID: 36333908 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202200699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The increasing energy demand for diverse applications requires new types of devices and materials. Multifunctional materials that can fulfill different roles are of high interest as they can allow fabricating devices that can both convert and store energy. Herein, organic donor-acceptor redox polymers that can function as charge storage materials in batteries and as donor materials in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) photovoltaic devices are investigated. Based on its reversible redox chemistry, phenothiazine is used as the main building block in the conjugated copolymer design and combined with diketopyrrolopyrrol and benzothiadiazole as electron-poor comonomers to shift the optical absorption into the visible region. The resulting polymers show excellent cycling stability as positive electrode materials in lithium-organic batteries at discharge potentials of 3.6-3.7 V versus Li/Li+ as well as good performances in BHJ solar cells with up to 1.9% power conversion efficiency. This study shows that the design of such multifunctional materials is possible, however, that it also faces challenges, as essential properties for good device function can lead to diametrically opposite requirements in materials design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Wessling
- Freiburg Materials Research Center (FMF), University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Straße 21, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence livMatS @ FIT - Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, University of Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee 105, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
- Institute for Organic Chemistry, University of Freiburg, Albertstraße 21, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Rodrigo Delgado Andrés
- Freiburg Materials Research Center (FMF), University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Straße 21, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence livMatS @ FIT - Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, University of Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee 105, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Isabel Morhenn
- Institute for Organic Chemistry, University of Freiburg, Albertstraße 21, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Pascal Acker
- Institute for Organic Chemistry, University of Freiburg, Albertstraße 21, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Wafa Maftuhin
- Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, University of Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee 105, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Michael Walter
- Cluster of Excellence livMatS @ FIT - Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, University of Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee 105, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, University of Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee 105, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
- Fraunhofer IWM, MikroTribologie Centrum µTC, Wöhlerstr. 11, 79108, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Uli Würfel
- Freiburg Materials Research Center (FMF), University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Straße 21, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence livMatS @ FIT - Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, University of Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee 105, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Heidenhofstr. 2, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Birgit Esser
- Freiburg Materials Research Center (FMF), University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Straße 21, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence livMatS @ FIT - Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, University of Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee 105, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
- Institute for Organic Chemistry, University of Freiburg, Albertstraße 21, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
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44
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Liu L, Yan Y, Zhao S, Wang T, Zhang W, Zhang J, Hao X, Zhang Y, Zhang X, Wei Z. Stereoisomeric Non-Fullerene Acceptors-Based Organic Solar Cells. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2305638. [PMID: 37699757 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202305638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Chiral alkyl chains are ubiquitously observed in organic semiconductor materials and can regulate solution processability and active layer morphology, but the effect of stereoisomers on photovoltaic performance has rarely been investigated. For the racemic Y-type acceptors widely used in organic solar cells, it remains unknown if the individual chiral molecules separate into the conglomerate phase or if racemic phase prevails. Here, the photovoltaic performance of enantiomerically pure Y6 derivatives, (S,S)/(R,R)-BTP-4F, and their chiral mixtures are compared. It is found that (S,S) and (R,R)-BTP-4F molecule in the racemic mixtures tends to interact with its enantiomer. The racemic mixtures enable efficient light harvesting, fast hole transfer, and long polaron lifetime, which is conducive to charge generation and suppresses the recombination losses. Moreover, abundant charge diffusion pathways provided by the racemate contribute to efficient charge transport. As a result, the racemate system maximizes the power output and minimizes losses, leading to a higher efficiency of 18.16% and a reduced energy loss of 0.549 eV, as compared to the enantiomerically pure molecules. This study demonstrates that the chirality of non-fullerene acceptors should receive more attention and be designed rationally to enhance the efficiency of organic solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lixuan Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yangjun Yan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Science, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Shengda Zhao
- School of Science, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Tong Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Wenqing Zhang
- School of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Crystal Material, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Jianqi Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Xiaotao Hao
- School of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Crystal Material, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Yajie Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Xinghua Zhang
- School of Science, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Zhixiang Wei
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, 100049, China
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45
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Zhu J, Qin Z, Lan A, Jiang S, Mou J, Ren Y, Do H, Chen ZK, Chen F. A-D-A Type Nonfullerene Acceptors Synthesized by Core Segmentation and Isomerization for Realizing Organic Solar Cells with Low Nonradiative Energy Loss. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2305529. [PMID: 37688316 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202305529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Reducing non-radiative recombination energy loss (ΔEnonrad ) in organic solar cells (OSCs) has been considered an effective method to improve device efficiency. In this study, the backbone of PTBTT-4F/4Cl is divided into D1-D2-D3 segments and reconstructed. The isomerized TPBTT-4F/4Cl obtains stronger intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), thus leading to elevated highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy level and reduced bandgap (Eg ). According to ELoss = Eg- qVOC , the reduced Eg and enhanced open circuit voltage (VOC ) result in lower ELoss , indicating that ELoss has been effectively suppressed in the TPBTT-4F/4Cl based devices. Furthermore, compared to PTBTT derivatives, the isomeric TPBTT derivatives exhibit more planar molecular structure and closer intermolecular stacking, thus affording higher crystallinity of the neat films. Therefore, the reduced energy disorder and corresponding lower Urbach energy (Eu ) of the TPBTT-4F/4Cl blend films lead to low ELoss and high charge-carrier mobility of the devices. As a result, benefitting from synergetic control of molecular stacking and energetic offsets, a maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 15.72% is realized from TPBTT-4F based devices, along with a reduced ΔEnonrad of 0.276 eV. This work demonstrates a rational method of suppressing VOC loss and improving the device performance through molecular design engineering by core segmentation and isomerization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jintao Zhu
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo, 315100, China
| | - Zixuan Qin
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo, 315100, China
| | - Ai Lan
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo, 315100, China
| | - Shanshan Jiang
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo, 315100, China
| | - Jiayou Mou
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo, 315100, China
| | - Yong Ren
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo, 315100, China
| | - Hainam Do
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo, 315100, China
| | - Zhi-Kuan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo Institute of Northwestern Polytechnical University, Ningbo, 315100, China
- New Materials Institute, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo, 315100, China
- Key Laboratory of Carbonaceous Waste Processing and Process Intensification Research of Zhejiang Province, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo, 315100, China
| | - Fei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo Institute of Northwestern Polytechnical University, Ningbo, 315100, China
- New Materials Institute, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo, 315100, China
- Key Laboratory of Carbonaceous Waste Processing and Process Intensification Research of Zhejiang Province, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo, 315100, China
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46
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Yang X, Shao Y, Wang S, Chen M, Xiao B, Sun R, Min J. Processability Considerations for Next-Generation Organic Photovoltaic Materials. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023:e2307863. [PMID: 38048536 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202307863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of organic semiconductors for organic photovoltaics (OPVs) has resulted in unforeseen outcomes. This has provided substitute choices of photoactive layer materials, which effectively convert sunlight into electricity. Recently developed OPV materials have narrowed down the gaps in efficiency, stability, and cost in devices. Records now show power conversion efficiency in single-junction devices closing to 20%. Despite this, there is still a gap between the currently developed OPV materials and those that meet the requirements of practical applications, especially the solution processability issue widely concerned in the field of OPVs. Based on the general rule that structure determines properties, methodologies to enhance the processability of OPV materials are reviewed and explored from the perspective of material design and views on the further development of processable OPV materials are presented. Considering the current dilemma that the existing evaluation indicators cannot reflect the industrial processability of OPV materials, a more complete set of key performance indicators are proposed for their processability considerations. The purpose of this perspective is to raise awareness of the boundary conditions that exist in industrial OPV manufacturing and to provide guidance for academic research that aspires to contribute to technological advancements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinrong Yang
- The Institute for Advanced Studies, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Yiming Shao
- The Institute for Advanced Studies, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Shanshan Wang
- The Institute for Advanced Studies, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Mingxia Chen
- The Institute for Advanced Studies, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Bo Xiao
- The Institute for Advanced Studies, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Rui Sun
- The Institute for Advanced Studies, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Jie Min
- The Institute for Advanced Studies, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
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47
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Hu Z, Xie J, Yu J, Zhang Y, Cai H, Bai Y, Zhang K, Liu C, Huang F, Cao Y. B─N Covalent Bond-Based Nonfullerene Electron Acceptors for Efficient Organic Solar Cells. Macromol Rapid Commun 2023; 44:e2300381. [PMID: 37798917 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202300381] [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: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
The optoelectronic properties and photovoltaic performance of nonfullerene electron acceptors (NFEAs) in organic solar cells (OSCs) are greatly influenced by the rational structure regulation of the central core unit. This study introduces a novel type of six-membered fused electron-donating core containing B─N covalent bonds to construct acceptor-donor-acceptor (A-D-A)-type NFEAs. By modulating the branching alkyl chains on the nitrogen atom, two NFEAs, BN910 and BN1014, are synthesized and characterized. Both molecules exhibit strong near-infrared absorption, narrow bandgaps (≈1.45 eV), appropriate energy levels, and tunable molecular packing behaviors, positioning them as promising candidates for efficient NFEAs in OSCs. The investigation reveals that BN1014, with longer and C2-branched alkyl chains, demonstrates superior intermolecular packing and morphology within active layers, leading to enhanced exciton dissociation, improved charge transfer, and reduced charge recombination in OSCs. As a result, a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.02% is achieved for D18:BN1014-based binary OSCs. Notably, BN1014 can be utilized as the third component in the D18:DT-Y6 binary system to fabricate the ternary OSCs, and a PCE of 17.65% is achieved, outperforming 17.05% of D18:DT-Y6-based binary OSCs. These findings highlight the potential of heteroarenes featuring B─N covalent bonds for constructing high-efficiency NFEAs in OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengwei Hu
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P. R. China
| | - Juxuan Xie
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P. R. China
| | - Jiangkai Yu
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P. R. China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P. R. China
| | - Houji Cai
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P. R. China
| | - Yuanqing Bai
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P. R. China
| | - Kai Zhang
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P. R. China
| | - Chunchen Liu
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P. R. China
| | - Fei Huang
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P. R. China
| | - Yong Cao
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P. R. China
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48
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Ji X, Wang T, Fu Q, Liu D, Wu Z, Zhang M, Woo HY, Liu Y. Deciphering the Effects of Molecular Dipole Moments on the Photovoltaic Performance of Organic Solar Cells. Macromol Rapid Commun 2023; 44:e2300213. [PMID: 37230735 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202300213] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The dielectronic constant of organic semiconductor materials is directly related to its molecule dipole moment, which can be used to guide the design of high-performance organic photovoltaic materials. Herein, two isomeric small molecule acceptors, ANDT-2F and CNDT-2F, are designed and synthesized by using the electron localization effect of alkoxy in different positions of naphthalene. It is found that the axisymmetric ANDT-2F exhibits a larger dipole moment, which can improve exciton dissociation and charge generation efficiencies due to the strong intramolecular charge transfer effect, resulting in the higher photovoltaic performance of devices. Moreover, PBDB-T:ANDT-2F blend film exhibits larger and more balanced hole and electron mobility as well as nanoscale phase separation due to the favorable miscibility. As a result, the optimized device based on axisymmetric ANDT-2F shows a JSC of 21.30 mA cm-2 , an FF of 66.21%, and a power conversion energy of 12.13%, higher than that of centrosymmetric CNDT-2F-based device. This work provides important implications for designing and synthesizing efficient organic photovoltaic materials by tuning their dipole moment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofei Ji
- The Centre of Nanoscale Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
- The Interdisciplinary Research Center Shanghai Advanced Research Institute Chinese Academy of Sciences 99 Haike Road, Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park Pudong, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Ting Wang
- The Centre of Nanoscale Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
- Shaanxi Coal Chemical Industry Technology Research Institute Co. LTD, Xi'an, 710076, China
| | - Qiang Fu
- The Centre of Nanoscale Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong
| | - Dongxue Liu
- Institute of Science and Technology, China Three Gorges Corporation, Beijing, 100038, China
| | - Ziang Wu
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Mingtao Zhang
- The Centre of Nanoscale Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Han Young Woo
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Yongsheng Liu
- The Centre of Nanoscale Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
- Haihe Laboratory of Sustainable Chemical Transformations, Tianjin, 300192, China
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49
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Liu W, Zhang H, Liang S, Wang T, He S, Hu Y, Zhang R, Ning H, Ren J, Bakulin A, Gao F, Yuan J, Zou Y. The Synthesis of a Multiple D-A Conjugated Macrocycle and Its Application in Organic Photovoltaic. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202311645. [PMID: 37819601 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202311645] [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: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
As a novel class of materials, D-A conjugated macrocycles hold significant promise for chemical science. However, their potential in photovoltaic remains largely untapped due to the complexity of introducing multiple donor and acceptor moieties into the design and synthesis of cyclic π-conjugated molecules. Here, we report a multiple D-A ring-like conjugated molecule (RCM) via the coupling of dimer molecule DBTP-C3 as a template and thiophenes in high yields. RCM exhibits a narrow optical gap (1.33 eV) and excellent thermal stability, and shows a remarkable photoluminescence yield (ΦPL ) of 11.1 % in solution, much higher than non-cyclic analogues. Organic solar cell (OSC) constructed with RCM as electron acceptor shows efficient charge separation at donor-acceptor band offsets and achieves a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 14.2 %-approximately fourfold higher than macrocycle-based OSCs reported so far. This is partly due to low non-radiative voltage loss down to 0.20 eV and a high electroluminescence yield (ΦEL ) of 4×10-4 . Our findings emphasize the potential of D-A cyclic conjugated molecules in advancing organic photovoltaic technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Liu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, 410083, Changsha, P. R. China
| | - Huotian Zhang
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, SE-581 83, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Songting Liang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, 410083, Changsha, P. R. China
| | - Tong Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Processable Electronics, Imperial College London, W12 0BZ, London, United Kingdom
| | - Siqing He
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, 410083, Changsha, P. R. China
| | - Yunbin Hu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, 410083, Changsha, P. R. China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, SE-581 83, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Haoqing Ning
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Processable Electronics, Imperial College London, W12 0BZ, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jie Ren
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Pol-ymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 310027, Hangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Artem Bakulin
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Processable Electronics, Imperial College London, W12 0BZ, London, United Kingdom
| | - Feng Gao
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, SE-581 83, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Jun Yuan
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, 410083, Changsha, P. R. China
| | - Yingping Zou
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, 410083, Changsha, P. R. China
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50
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Du Z, Luong HM, Sabury S, Therdkatanyuphong P, Chae S, Welton C, Jones AL, Zhang J, Peng Z, Zhu Z, Nanayakkara S, Coropceanu V, Choi DG, Xiao S, Yi A, Kim HJ, Bredas JL, Ade H, Reddy GNM, Marder SR, Reynolds JR, Nguyen TQ. Additive-free molecular acceptor organic solar cells processed from a biorenewable solvent approaching 15% efficiency. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2023; 10:5564-5576. [PMID: 37872787 DOI: 10.1039/d3mh01133j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
We report on the use of molecular acceptors (MAs) and donor polymers processed with a biomass-derived solvent (2-methyltetrahydrofuran, 2-MeTHF) to facilitate bulk heterojunction (BHJ) organic photovoltaics (OPVs) with power conversion efficiency (PCE) approaching 15%. Our approach makes use of two newly designed donor polymers with an opened ring unit in their structures along with three molecular acceptors (MAs) where the backbone and sidechain were engineered to enhance the processability of BHJ OPVs using 2-MeTHF, as evaluated by an analysis of donor-acceptor (D-A) miscibility and interaction parameters. To understand the differences in the PCE values that ranged from 9-15% as a function of composition, the surface, bulk, and interfacial BHJ morphologies were characterized at different length scales using atomic force microscopy, grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering, resonant soft X-ray scattering, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and 2D solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Our results indicate that the favorable D-A intermixing that occurs in the best performing BHJ film with an average domain size of ∼25 nm, high domain purity, uniform distribution and enhanced local packing interactions - facilitates charge generation and extraction while limiting the trap-assisted recombination process in the device, leading to high effective mobility and good performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhifang Du
- Center for Polymers and Organic Solids, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
| | - Hoang Mai Luong
- Center for Polymers and Organic Solids, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
| | - Sina Sabury
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics, Georgia Tech Polymer Network, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA.
| | | | - Sangmin Chae
- Center for Polymers and Organic Solids, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
| | - Claire Welton
- University of Lille, CNRS, Centrale Lille Institut, Univ. Artois, UMR 8181, Unité de Catalyse et Chimie du Solide, F-59000, Lille, France.
| | - Austin L Jones
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics, Georgia Tech Polymer Network, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA.
| | - Junxiang Zhang
- University of Colorado Boulder, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute, Boulder, CO 80303, USA.
| | - Zhengxing Peng
- Department of Physics and Organic and Carbon Electronics Laboratories (ORaCEL), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Ziyue Zhu
- Center for Polymers and Organic Solids, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
| | - Sadisha Nanayakkara
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721-0088, USA
| | - Veaceslav Coropceanu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721-0088, USA
| | - Dylan G Choi
- Center for Polymers and Organic Solids, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
| | - Steven Xiao
- 1-Material Inc, 2290 Chemin St-Francois, Dorval, Quebec, H9P 1K2, Canada
| | - Ahra Yi
- Center for Polymers and Organic Solids, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
- Department of Organic Material Science and Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyo Jung Kim
- Department of Organic Material Science and Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Jean-Luc Bredas
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721-0088, USA
| | - Harald Ade
- Department of Physics and Organic and Carbon Electronics Laboratories (ORaCEL), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - G N Manjunatha Reddy
- University of Lille, CNRS, Centrale Lille Institut, Univ. Artois, UMR 8181, Unité de Catalyse et Chimie du Solide, F-59000, Lille, France.
| | - Seth R Marder
- University of Colorado Boulder, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute, Boulder, CO 80303, USA.
| | - John R Reynolds
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics, Georgia Tech Polymer Network, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA.
| | - Thuc-Quyen Nguyen
- Center for Polymers and Organic Solids, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
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