1
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Deng M, Tan L, Tang H, Peng Q. Recent progress in Y-series small molecule acceptors in polymer solar cells. Chem Commun (Camb) 2025. [PMID: 40492393 DOI: 10.1039/d5cc02352a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2025]
Abstract
Polymer solar cells (PSCs) have emerged as a hot research topic in next-generation photovoltaic technology due to their lightweight nature, low-cost fabrication and flexible characteristics. The development of Y-series small molecule acceptors (SMAs) has significantly enhanced photovoltaic performance. This review systematically summarized recent advances in Y-series SMAs, categorized by their electron-deficient fused-ring central cores of benzotriazole (BTA), benzothiadiazole (BT) and quinoxaline (Qx) with emphasis on how molecular structure optimization strategies, including central core engineering, side-chain engineering and end-group engineering, influence optoelectronic properties, film morphology and device performance. Finally, strategies for constructing high-efficiency PSCs are proposed to advance their future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Deng
- College of Materials and Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, P. R. China.
| | - Lei Tan
- College of Materials and Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, P. R. China.
| | - Hao Tang
- College of Materials and Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, P. R. China.
| | - Qiang Peng
- College of Materials and Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, P. R. China.
- School of Chemical Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymer Materials, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, P. R. China
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2
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Xu Z, Ding S, Shi W, Zhao W, Cao X, Yao Z, Guo Y, Long G, Li C, Wan X, Chen Y. High Performance Electron Acceptors Containing Transition Metals. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2025; 64:e202504616. [PMID: 40129381 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202504616] [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: 02/25/2025] [Revised: 03/24/2025] [Accepted: 03/25/2025] [Indexed: 03/26/2025]
Abstract
A novel molecular platform characteristic of multiple transition metals (CH─Zn, CH─Ni, CH─Pt) on conjugated backbones is first established as high-performance electron acceptors. The CH─Pt-based ternary organic photovoltaics render an excellent power conversion efficiency surpassing 20%, more importantly, the unexplored dependency of central metals on intrinsic physicochemical properties of acceptors, nanoscale morphologies of donor/acceptor blends and final photovoltaic outcomes is fully disclosed. By demonstrating such a rare case of metal-containing acceptor, our work provides insight into whether metal complexes can serve as the building blocks of high-performance acceptors and gives guidance to rational design of metal-containing acceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Xu
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, The Centre of Nanoscale Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Shuhui Ding
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, The Centre of Nanoscale Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Wendi Shi
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, The Centre of Nanoscale Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Wenkai Zhao
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Xiangjian Cao
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, The Centre of Nanoscale Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Zhaoyang Yao
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, The Centre of Nanoscale Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Yaxiao Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, School of Chemistry, Tiangong University, Tianjin, 300387, China
| | - Guankui Long
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Chenxi Li
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, The Centre of Nanoscale Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Xiangjian Wan
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, The Centre of Nanoscale Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Yongsheng Chen
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, The Centre of Nanoscale Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
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3
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Zhang Y, Xia H, Yu J, Yang Y, Li G. Materials and Device Engineering Perspective: Recent Advances in Organic Photovoltaics. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2025:e2504063. [PMID: 40434195 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202504063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2025] [Revised: 05/06/2025] [Indexed: 05/29/2025]
Abstract
Solar energy is the most promising and ultimate renewable energy resource, and silicon photovoltaic technology has gone through exciting growth globally. Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) provide solar energy solutions for application scenarios different from existing PV technologies. The organic PV technology, with the synergetic progress in the past decades, has now reached 20% power conversion efficiency (PCE), which has the potential to empower serious new applications using the unique features of OPV-light weight, colorful, semitransparent, flexibility, etc. The concise review focuses on recent device engineering progress in OPV technologies. The background of OPV devices and materials, especially recent nonfullerene acceptors, will first be presented; then, in the recent device engineering progress, the focus will be on active layer engineering to control the morphology of OPV, leading to recent 19%-20% efficiency. The parallel progress in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) and sequential layer-by-layer approaches will be summarized. The transparent OPV (TOPV) devices are of great interest with unique features and provide the broadest design space among all solar technologies. This work reviews the TOPV progress covering the active layer and transparent optical structure designs. The future research directions in OPV are discussed with perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhang
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE) Photonic Research Institute (PRI), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Hao Xia
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE) Photonic Research Institute (PRI), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Jiangsheng Yu
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE) Photonic Research Institute (PRI), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Gang Li
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE) Photonic Research Institute (PRI), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
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4
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Sun W, van der Heide T, Vuong VQ, Frauenheim T, Sentef MA, Aradi B, Lien-Medrano CR. Hybrid Functional DFTB Parametrizations for Modeling Organic Photovoltaic Systems. J Chem Theory Comput 2025; 21:5103-5117. [PMID: 40337997 PMCID: PMC12120918 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.5c00232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2025] [Revised: 04/24/2025] [Accepted: 05/05/2025] [Indexed: 05/09/2025]
Abstract
Density functional tight binding (DFTB) is a quantum chemical simulation method based on an approximate density functional theory (DFT), known for its low computational cost and comparable accuracy to DFT. For several years, the application of DFTB in organic photovoltaics (OPV) has been limited by the absence of an appropriate set of parameters that adequately account for the relevant elements and necessary corrections. Here we have developed new parametrizations using hybrid functionals, including B3LYP and CAM-B3LYP, for OPV applications within the DFTB method in order to overcome the self-interaction error present in DFT functionals lacking long-range correction. These parametrizations encompass electronic and repulsive parameters for the elements H, C, N, O, F, S, and Cl. A Bayesian optimization approach was employed to optimize the free atom eigenenergies of unoccupied shells. The effectiveness of these new parametrizations was evaluated by a data set of 12 OPV donor and acceptor molecules, showing consistent performance when compared with their corresponding DFT references. Frontier molecular orbitals and optimized geometries were examined to evaluate the performance of the new parametrizations in predicting ground-state properties. Furthermore, the excited-state properties of monomers and dimers were investigated by means of real-time time-dependent DFTB (real-time TD-DFTB). The appearance of charge-transfer (CT) excitations in the dimers was observed, and the influence of alkyl side-chains on the photoinduced CT process was explored. This work paves the way for studying ground- and excited-state properties, including band alignments and CT mechanisms at donor-acceptor interfaces, in realistic OPV systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbo Sun
- Institute
for Theoretical Physics and Bremen Center for Computational Materials
Science, University of Bremen, 28359Bremen, Germany
| | - Tammo van der Heide
- Institute
for Theoretical Physics and Bremen Center for Computational Materials
Science, University of Bremen, 28359Bremen, Germany
| | - Van-Quan Vuong
- Institute
for Physical Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute
of Technology, 76131Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Thomas Frauenheim
- School
of Science, Constructor University, Campus Ring 1, 28759Bremen, Germany
- Institute
for Advanced Study, Chengdu University, Chengdu610106, P. R. China
| | - Michael A. Sentef
- Institute
for Theoretical Physics and Bremen Center for Computational Materials
Science, University of Bremen, 28359Bremen, Germany
| | - Bálint Aradi
- Institute
for Theoretical Physics and Bremen Center for Computational Materials
Science, University of Bremen, 28359Bremen, Germany
| | - Carlos R. Lien-Medrano
- Institute
for Theoretical Physics and Bremen Center for Computational Materials
Science, University of Bremen, 28359Bremen, Germany
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5
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Xu Z, Cao X, Yao Z, Zhao W, Shi W, Bi X, Li Y, Guo Y, Li G, Long G, Wan X, Li C, Chen Y. Highly Efficient Acceptors with a Nonaromatic Thianthrene Central Core for Organic Photovoltaics. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2025; 64:e202421289. [PMID: 40134278 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202421289] [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: 11/02/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2025] [Accepted: 03/24/2025] [Indexed: 03/27/2025]
Abstract
Despite the great role in determining molecular packings and organic photovoltaic outcomes, very rare candidates could be employed as central cores in current high-performance acceptors except diimide-based moieties. Herein, a new type of central core of nonaromatic thianthrene is explored firstly, affording an exotic but structurally tailorable molecular platform for acceptor design. A unique puckered rather than planar conformation of central core is adopted, caused by the 4n πe- feature, great ring strain and largely the insufficient p-π orbital overlap of lone pair on sulfur of thianthrene and coterminous benzene planes. As a result, the absorption of thianthrene-based acceptors (CS1, CS2, and CS3) shows unexpected blue shift comparing to the phenazine-based counterpart (CH20), regardless of the intrinsically strong electron-donating characteristic of low valence sulfur atoms. Even so, the desired molecular packing and fibrillary film morphology, assisted by the suitable chlorination on thianthrene, still contribute to the best device efficiency of 19.0% based on D18:CS2 blends. Such novel work renders an underdeveloped NFA platform with the potentials for achieving PCE of over 20%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Xu
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, The Centre of Nanoscale Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Xiangjian Cao
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, The Centre of Nanoscale Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Zhaoyang Yao
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, The Centre of Nanoscale Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Wenkai Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, School of Chemistry, Tiangong University, Tianjin, 300387, China
| | - Wendi Shi
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, The Centre of Nanoscale Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Xingqi Bi
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, The Centre of Nanoscale Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Yu Li
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, The Centre of Nanoscale Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Yaxiao Guo
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, National Institute for Advanced Materials, Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Guanghui Li
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, The Centre of Nanoscale Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Guankui Long
- State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, School of Chemistry, Tiangong University, Tianjin, 300387, China
| | - Xiangjian Wan
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, The Centre of Nanoscale Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Chenxi Li
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, The Centre of Nanoscale Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Yongsheng Chen
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, The Centre of Nanoscale Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
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6
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Qi Z, Liu H, Zheng S. Impact of Terminal Halogen and CN Substitutions on Photoelectric Properties of Asymmetric Y6-Based NFA with Terminal Groups in Different Orientations: A DFT/TDDFT Study. J Phys Chem A 2025; 129:4488-4495. [PMID: 40340406 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.5c01674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2025]
Abstract
Nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs) with an acceptor-donor-acceptor-donor-acceptor (A-DA'D-A) molecular framework have attracted much attention due to their excellent performance. However, the modifications of terminal units of asymmetric Y6-based NFA with terminal groups of different orientations are still few, and its effects on photoelectrical properties are still not clear. In this work, based on asymmetric IPC-BEH-IC2F (showing better performance than Y6 in experiment) with terminal groups in different orientations, we systematically designed six new NFAs via halogen and CN substitutions on terminal groups. The molecular planarity, dipole moments, electrostatic potential maps and their fluctuations, frontier molecular orbitals, exciton binding energy, UV-vis spectra, and energy difference between the first singlet and triplet states of these NFAs are predicted using reliable density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (T-DFT) calculations. The results show that with respect to prototype CN-F, Br-F, CN-Br, and CN-Cl exhibit comparable energy levels of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO), reduced energy gap (by at least 0.026 eV), Eb (by at least 0.002 eV), and ΔEST (by at least 0.009 eV) values, red shifts (by at least 2 nm) in the wavelengths of the main absorption peaks, and enhanced absorption (by at least 0.05 in total oscillator strength) in the visible to near-infrared regions, indicating their potential as outstanding asymmetric NFAs. This study offers valuable insights into the future design and optimization of NFAs featuring asymmetric terminal groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuan Qi
- School of Materials and Energy, Southwest University, 2nd Tiansheng Road, Beibei District, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Huake Liu
- School of Materials and Energy, Southwest University, 2nd Tiansheng Road, Beibei District, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Shaohui Zheng
- School of Materials and Energy, Southwest University, 2nd Tiansheng Road, Beibei District, Chongqing 400715, China
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7
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Tsai CL, Lu HC, Tseng CC, Xue YJ, Hung KE, Wu CS, Chang CC, Hsu CS, Gugujonovic K, Scharber MC, Cao FY, Cheng YJ. Perfluorophenyl-Incorporated Ferrocene: A Non-Volatile Solid Additive for Boosting Efficiency and Stability in Organic Solar Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2025. [PMID: 40392575 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5c04989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2025]
Abstract
In this study, we designed and synthesized a new non-volatile solid additive FcF10 by integrating two pentafluorophenyl (C6F5) groups into the cyclopentadienyl (CP) rings of ferrocene (Fc) through ester linkages. The FcF10 with a three-dimensional (3D) framework facilitated morphological optimization in the PM6:Y6 system through a combination of π···π, F···π, and F···F interactions between the CP and C6F5 rings in FcF10 and the C6F2 rings in Y6. The FcF10-incorporated (3.75 wt %) PM6:Y6-based solar cell device achieved a higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 17.00%, with a Voc of 0.85 V, a Jsc of 27.35 mA cm-2, and an FF of 73.29%, compared to the pristine PM6:Y6 device. These improvements are attributed to the formation of a favorable active layer morphology, which enhances exciton dissociation and charge transport while reducing bimolecular and trap-assisted recombination. The FcF10 additive facilitates non-covalent interactions with Y6, such as F···F, F···π, and π···π interactions between the Cp and C6F5 rings in FcF10 and the FIC end groups in Y6. These supramolecular interactions improve molecular stacking and crystallinity within the Y6 domain, as evidenced by red-shifted Y6 absorption, reduced π-π stacking d-spacing, and increased coherence lengths of Y6. Furthermore, the PM6:Y6:FcF10 device demonstrates superior thermal stability, retaining 88% of its initial PCE after prolonged thermal annealing at 85 °C. Overall, the incorporation of FcF10 achieves an optimized and stable donor-acceptor morphology, offering a promising approach for high-performance and thermally stable organic photovoltaics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Lin Tsai
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, 1001 University Road, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
| | - Han-Cheng Lu
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, 1001 University Road, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Chun Tseng
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, 1001 University Road, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Jing Xue
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, 1001 University Road, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
| | - Kai-En Hung
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, 1001 University Road, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Shing Wu
- Taiwan Space Agency, 8F, 9 Prosperity 1st Road, Hsinchu Science Park, Hsinchu 300091, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Chih Chang
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, 1001 University Road, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
- Center for Emergent Functional Matter Science, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, 1001 University Road, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
| | - Chain-Shu Hsu
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, 1001 University Road, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
- Center for Emergent Functional Matter Science, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, 1001 University Road, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
| | - Katarina Gugujonovic
- Institute of Physical Chemistry and Linz Institute of Organic Solar Cells (LIOS), Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenbergerstrasse 69, 4040 Linz, Austria
| | - Markus Clark Scharber
- Institute of Physical Chemistry and Linz Institute of Organic Solar Cells (LIOS), Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenbergerstrasse 69, 4040 Linz, Austria
| | - Fong-Yi Cao
- Department of Chemistry, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua City 50007, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Ju Cheng
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, 1001 University Road, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
- Center for Emergent Functional Matter Science, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, 1001 University Road, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
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8
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Zhang N, An Y, Yao Q, Zou G, Zhou N, Wu Y, Chen D, Lin FR, Jen AKY, Yip HL. Textured Inorganic Perovskite Interlayer Enhances Carrier Extraction for Organic Solar Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2025; 17:26959-26967. [PMID: 40274602 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5c03878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2025]
Abstract
The PEDOT:PSS has been utilized extensively as a hole transport layer (HTL) in organic solar cells (OSCs) due to its excellent compatibility with various bulk heterojunction (BHJ) active layers. However, its intrinsically low electrical conductivity and suboptimal surface morphology limit hole extraction, ultimately constraining the performance of OSCs. To address this, we constructed an advanced heterojunction interface by introducing a wide-bandgap perovskite (CsPbBr3) interlayer between the PEDOT:PSS and BHJ. The textured CsPbBr3 interlayer serves as an efficient hole transport modifier by enhancing extraction and transport efficiency, while simultaneously functioning as an energy donor via Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and as a photosensitizer capable of generating photocarriers independently through its intrinsic optoelectronic properties. This synergetic enhancement of charge generation, extraction, and transport properties resulted in an increase in the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of PM6:Y6-based OSCs from 16.80% to 17.74%, along with improved photocurrent and fill factor (FF). The universality of this approach was further demonstrated in state-of-the-art PM6:BTP-eC9:L8-BO systems, achieving a PCE of 19.02%. Our work elucidates the multifunctional role of CsPbBr3 in managing interfacial properties, presenting a feasible interface engineering strategy to achieve high-performance OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Zhang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
- Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Yidan An
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Qin Yao
- School of Additive Manufacturing, Zhejiang Polytechnic University of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310059, P. R. China
| | - Guangruixing Zou
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
- Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Ning Zhou
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Ye Wu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Desui Chen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Francis R Lin
- Department of Chemistry, 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
| | - Alex K-Y Jen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
- Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
- Department of Chemistry, 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
| | - Hin-Lap Yip
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
- Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films, 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
- School of Energy and Environmental Science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
- State Key Laboratory for Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
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9
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Xu S, He Q, Xue X, Deng J, Han F, Xie F, Jiao X, Zhou L, Zeng R, Wang Z, Zhang M, Zhu L, Jing H, Zhang Y, Liu F. Construction of Shamrock-Shaped Giant Molecule Acceptors for Efficient Organic Solar Cells. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2025:e202507616. [PMID: 40317597 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202507616] [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: 04/04/2025] [Revised: 04/28/2025] [Accepted: 05/02/2025] [Indexed: 05/07/2025]
Abstract
The discovery of non-fullerene small molecule acceptor materials has breathed new development into organic solar cells (OSCs). However, it has also introduced the issue of insufficient device stability. Enhancing the glass transition temperature (Tg) of materials by connecting small molecules into giant molecules, thereby improving morphological stability, represents an effective material design strategy to address this issue. In this work, we have synthesized the shamrock-shaped giant molecule materials T-Qx based on high efficiency Qx-series small molecule materials. Through systematically modulating the terminal and the central halogen atoms, precise control of the molecular conformation can be achieved. Notably, the fully chlorine-substituted giant molecule T-Qx-15Cl exhibits the largest torsion angle of approximately 40° and achieves the highest Tg (up to 188 °C) among these new materials. Photovoltaic devices based on these giant molecules demonstrate a low non-radiative energy loss of approximately 0.21 eV, which results in a high open-circuit voltage (Voc) above 0.93 V. T-Qx-15Cl presents the strongest interaction with the polymer donor PM6, achieving a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of more than 20%. This remarkable performance is attributed to the large twisting angle that effectively prevents the excessive aggregation of large π-conjugated planar molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengjie Xu
- 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
| | - Qixin He
- 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
| | - Xiaonan Xue
- Shanghai OPV Solar New Energy Technology Co., Ltd, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Jiawei Deng
- 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
| | - 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
| | - Fei Xie
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230000, China
| | - Xuechen Jiao
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230000, China
| | - Libo 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
| | - 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
| | - Zaiyu Wang
- Suzhou Laboratory, Suzhou, 215100, 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
| | - Lei Zhu
- 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
| | - Hao Jing
- Shanghai OPV Solar New Energy Technology Co., Ltd, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Yongming 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
- State Key Laboratory of Fluorinated Functional Membrane Materials and Dongyue Future Hydrogen Energy Materials Company, Zibo City, Shandong, 256401, 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
- Suzhou Laboratory, Suzhou, 215100, China
- State Key Laboratory of Fluorinated Functional Membrane Materials and Dongyue Future Hydrogen Energy Materials Company, Zibo City, Shandong, 256401, China
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10
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Suzuki R, Nakano K, Miyasaka M, Tajima K. Vertical Component Distributions in Organic Solar Cells Controlled by Photocrosslinking and Layer-by-Layer Deposition. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2025:e2411988. [PMID: 40317852 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202411988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2025] [Indexed: 05/07/2025]
Abstract
The vertical component distribution is investigated in bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) type organic solar cells (OSCs) by combining photocrosslinking of donor polymers with layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition of acceptor molecules. Different concentrations of a tetradiazirine photocrosslinker controlled the crosslinker density of the polymer films, which in turn influenced the permeation behavior of acceptor molecules during LbL deposition. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) analyses revealed the effect of crosslinker density on the vertical distribution of donor and acceptor materials. Increasing crosslinker density during LbL processing produces distinct bilayer-like structures, with each layer having different component ratios. OSC performance is optimized at lower crosslink densities with the uniformly mixed structure, while higher densities reduce the donor-acceptor interface, thereby decreasing power conversion efficiency from 12.6% (0.3 wt.%) to 4.48% (2.0 wt.%). These findings challenge the previous assumption that molecular permeation during LbL deposition naturally results in continuous component gradients or p-i-n structures, which are proposed as an advantage of the LbL method over traditional BHJ structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Suzuki
- RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS), 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
- Material Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo Denki University, 5 Senju-Asahi-cho, Adachi-ku, Tokyo, 120-8551, Japan
| | - Kyohei Nakano
- RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS), 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Makoto Miyasaka
- Material Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo Denki University, 5 Senju-Asahi-cho, Adachi-ku, Tokyo, 120-8551, Japan
| | - Keisuke Tajima
- RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS), 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
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11
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Khalid M, Tayyab F, Adeel M, Tahir N, Braga AAC, Alrashidi KA. Exploration of selenophene analogue and different acceptor influence on photovoltaic properties of pyrrole-4,6(5-H)-dione based chromophores via quantum chemical investigations. Sci Rep 2025; 15:14792. [PMID: 40295719 PMCID: PMC12038020 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-99585-6] [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: 07/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2025] [Indexed: 04/30/2025] Open
Abstract
Non-fullerene organic compounds are considered efficient photovoltaic materials in the development of solar cells. Therefore, considering the importance of non-fullerene organic compounds, a series of non-fullerene organic chromophores (SPF1-SPF6) was designed via molecular engineering at terminal acceptors of reference compound (SPFR). Further, owing to the interesting features of selenium than sulphur towards charge transfer, thiophene was replaced with selenophene in designed derivatives and analyzed using quantum chemical approach. Through benchmark study, CAM-B3LYP/6-311G(d, p) functional was selected for the current study. Several parameters, such as frontier molecular orbitals, density of states, binding energy, transition density matrix, optical properties, reorganization energies of electron and hole, open circuit voltage, and charge transfer analyses were assessed to comprehend the photovoltaic properties of designed compounds. A energy gap: 4.433-4.764 eV with absorption spectra as 465.1-512.7 nm in chloroform and 445.4-494.0 nm in the gas phase and greater charge transference rate was studied in selenophene derivatives. The lower Eb and the behavior of holes and electrons implied a higher rate of exciton separation and considerable transfer of charges towards LUMO from the HOMO. The results of DOS and TDM analysis further corroborated these findings. Furthermore, the Voc, in relation to the HOMOPTB7-LUMOAcceptor, depicted that the proposed molecules have good Voc values. Furthermore, a comparative study with spiro-OMeTAD, a standard hole transport material (HTM) demonstrated a good correlation, indicating that the proposed compounds have the potential to function as efficient HTMs. Therefore, it can be deduced that the use of molecular engineering with various acceptor molecules has the potential to enhance the effectiveness of photovoltaic materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Khalid
- Institute of Chemistry, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering & Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, 64200, Pakistan.
- Centre for Theoretical and Computational Research, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering & Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, 64200, Pakistan.
| | - Fatima Tayyab
- Institute of Chemistry, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering & Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, 64200, Pakistan
- Centre for Theoretical and Computational Research, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering & Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, 64200, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Adeel
- Institute of Chemistry, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering & Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, 64200, Pakistan
- Centre for Theoretical and Computational Research, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering & Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, 64200, Pakistan
| | - Nayab Tahir
- Wellman Center for Photomedicines, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Ataualpa A C Braga
- Department of Fundamental Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 748, Sao Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Khalid Abdullah Alrashidi
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
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12
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Takeyama T, Murata Y, Tamai Y. Directional control of singlet exciton diffusion in crystalline polythiophene films. J Chem Phys 2025; 162:144704. [PMID: 40197582 DOI: 10.1063/5.0245768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2025] [Indexed: 04/10/2025] Open
Abstract
Understanding and controlling the direction of singlet exciton diffusion in conjugated polymer films is crucial for organic optoelectronic devices, such as organic photovoltaics. We previously demonstrated that singlet excitons generated in poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) predominantly diffuse along the π-stacking direction due to a relatively strong H-aggregate character. In contrast, we also found that thin films of a novel naphthobisoxadiazole-based low-bandgap polymer, PNOz4T, exhibit two-dimensional (2D) exciton diffusion characteristics along both the π-stacking (interchain) and main chain (intrachain) directions. Detailed analysis revealed that 2D exciton diffusion is due to a relatively strong J-aggregate character of PNOz4T. However, it remains unclear whether this behavior is unique to PNOz4T or can be reproduced in other conjugated polymers when J-aggregate character is enhanced. Herein, we investigate how the direction of singlet exciton diffusion is controlled in PDCBT, a polythiophene with greater J-aggregate character compared to P3HT. We demonstrate that the preferential direction of the singlet exciton diffusion shifts from the π-stacking direction to the main chain direction with increasing J-aggregate character. We observe 2D exciton diffusion when these two diffusional components are balanced. This study highlights the importance of side-chain engineering to control the direction of singlet exciton diffusion and provides new insight into understanding the mechanism of exciton diffusion in conjugated polymer films.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taiki Takeyama
- Department of Polymer Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Murata
- Department of Polymer Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Yasunari Tamai
- Department of Advanced Materials Science, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8561, Japan
- Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), PRESTO, 4-1-8 Honcho Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
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13
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Polydorou E, Manginas G, Chatzigiannakis G, Georgiopoulou Z, Verykios A, Sakellis E, Rizou ME, Psycharis V, Palilis L, Davazoglou D, Soultati A, Vasilopoulou M. Sulfur-Doped ZnO as Cathode Interlayer for Efficient Inverted Organic Solar Cells. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2025; 18:1767. [PMID: 40333425 PMCID: PMC12029029 DOI: 10.3390/ma18081767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2025] [Revised: 04/08/2025] [Accepted: 04/10/2025] [Indexed: 05/09/2025]
Abstract
Bulk heterojunction (BHJ) organic solar cells (OSCs) represent a promising technology due to their cost-effectiveness, lightweight design and potential for flexible manufacturing. However, achieving a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) and long-term stability necessitates optimizing the interfacial layers. Zinc oxide (ZnO), commonly used as an electron extraction layer (EEL) in inverted OSCs, suffers from surface defects that hinder device performance. Furthermore, the active control of its optoelectronic properties is highly desirable as the interfacial electron transport and extraction, exciton dissociation and non-radiative recombination are crucial for optimum solar cell operation. In this regard, this study investigates the sulfur doping of ZnO as a facile method to effectively increase ZnO conductivity, improve the interfacial electron transfer and, overall, enhance solar cell performance. ZnO films were sulfur-treated under various annealing temperatures, with the optimal condition found at 250 °C. Devices incorporating sulfur-doped ZnO (S-ZnO) exhibited a significant PCE improvement from 2.11% for the device with the pristine ZnO to 3.14% for the OSC based on the S-ZnO annealed at 250 °C, attributed to an enhanced short-circuit current density (Jsc) and fill factor (FF). Optical and structural analyses revealed that the sulfur treatment led to a small enhancement of the ZnO film crystallite size and an increased n-type transport capability. Additionally, the sulfurization of ZnO enhanced its electron extraction efficiency, exciton dissociation at the ZnO/photoactive layer interface and exciton/charge generation rate without altering the film morphology. These findings highlight the potential of sulfur doping as an easily implemented, straightforward approach to improving the performance of inverted OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ermioni Polydorou
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (INN), National Center for Scientific Research (NCSR) Demokritos, 15341 Agia Paraskevi, Greece; (E.P.); (Z.G.); (E.S.); (M.E.R.)
| | - Georgios Manginas
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of West Attica, 12244 Egaleo, Greece
| | - Georgios Chatzigiannakis
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (INN), National Center for Scientific Research (NCSR) Demokritos, 15341 Agia Paraskevi, Greece; (E.P.); (Z.G.); (E.S.); (M.E.R.)
- Solid State Physics Section, Department of Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, 15784 Zografos, Greece
| | - Zoi Georgiopoulou
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (INN), National Center for Scientific Research (NCSR) Demokritos, 15341 Agia Paraskevi, Greece; (E.P.); (Z.G.); (E.S.); (M.E.R.)
- Solid State Physics Section, Department of Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, 15784 Zografos, Greece
| | - Apostolis Verykios
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (INN), National Center for Scientific Research (NCSR) Demokritos, 15341 Agia Paraskevi, Greece; (E.P.); (Z.G.); (E.S.); (M.E.R.)
| | - Elias Sakellis
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (INN), National Center for Scientific Research (NCSR) Demokritos, 15341 Agia Paraskevi, Greece; (E.P.); (Z.G.); (E.S.); (M.E.R.)
- Solid State Physics Section, Department of Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, 15784 Zografos, Greece
| | - Maria Eleni Rizou
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (INN), National Center for Scientific Research (NCSR) Demokritos, 15341 Agia Paraskevi, Greece; (E.P.); (Z.G.); (E.S.); (M.E.R.)
| | - Vassilis Psycharis
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (INN), National Center for Scientific Research (NCSR) Demokritos, 15341 Agia Paraskevi, Greece; (E.P.); (Z.G.); (E.S.); (M.E.R.)
| | - Leonidas Palilis
- Department of Physics, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
| | - Dimitris Davazoglou
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (INN), National Center for Scientific Research (NCSR) Demokritos, 15341 Agia Paraskevi, Greece; (E.P.); (Z.G.); (E.S.); (M.E.R.)
| | - Anastasia Soultati
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (INN), National Center for Scientific Research (NCSR) Demokritos, 15341 Agia Paraskevi, Greece; (E.P.); (Z.G.); (E.S.); (M.E.R.)
| | - Maria Vasilopoulou
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (INN), National Center for Scientific Research (NCSR) Demokritos, 15341 Agia Paraskevi, Greece; (E.P.); (Z.G.); (E.S.); (M.E.R.)
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14
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Hou H, Wang W, Li T, Zhang Z, Miao X, Cai G, Lu X, Yi Y, Lin Y. Efficient Infrared-Detecting Organic Semiconductors Featuring a Tetraheterocyclic Core with Reduced Ionization Potential. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2025; 64:e202425420. [PMID: 39906002 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202425420] [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: 12/26/2024] [Revised: 02/02/2025] [Accepted: 02/04/2025] [Indexed: 02/06/2025]
Abstract
Infrared organic semiconductors are crucial in organic optoelectronics, yet high-performance materials with photoresponse beyond 1.1 μm (the limit of crystalline silicon) remain scarce due to the limit of building blocks including strong electron-donating units. Here, we report an asymmetric tetraheterocycle (TPCT) with a reduced ionization potential of 6.18 eV relative to those reported dithiophene-based electron-donating blocks, and TPCT-2F and TPCTO-2F constructed with TPCT as the core exhibit absorption onset up to 1 μm and 1.4 μm, respectively. Especially, TPCTO-2F possesses a narrow band gap of 1.00 eV and displays a small Urbach energy of 22.0 meV comparable to or even lower than those of some typical inorganic short-wave infrared (SWIR) semiconductors (13-44 meV). The organic photodetectors (OPDs) based on TPCT-2F achieve a peak detectivity (D*) of 2.2×1013 Jones at 810 nm under zero bias, among the highest values for reported OPDs and on par with commercial silicon photodetectors. Impressively, TPCTO-2F-based OPDs demonstrate a wide response from 0.3 to 1.4 μm and high D* comparable to germanium photodetector at wavelengths <1.2 μm with a maximum D* of 2.3×1011 Jones at 1.06 μm in SWIR region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiqing Hou
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Tengfei Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Zhenzhen Zhang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Xiaodan Miao
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Guilong Cai
- Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Xinhui Lu
- Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong, 999077, 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
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yuze Lin
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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15
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Wang Y, Zhu Y, Lai H, Luo Y, Yang X, Ding Y, Wu J, He F. Optimizing Branching Linkers in Dimerized Acceptors for Enhanced Efficiency and Stability in Organic Solar Cells. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2025; 21:e2500818. [PMID: 40059587 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202500818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2025] [Revised: 02/22/2025] [Indexed: 04/25/2025]
Abstract
Most high-performing dimerized acceptors are based on Y-series precursors with superior conjugated π-backbones. The utilization of branch-connected dimerized acceptors can fully leverage the four end groups to enhance molecular packing, thereby potentially improving both the stability of organic solar cells (OSCs) while maintaining high power conversion efficiency (PCE). Therefore, optimizing the linker is critical to fully realizing their potential in improving device performance. In this study, three dimerized acceptors are synthesized with conjugated and conjugation-break linkers in the branching direction to systematically investigate the effects of different linker structures on molecular properties and device performance. By introducing an appropriate flexible chain, favorable solubility, and superior morphology are achieved, which facilitates charge generation and transport while suppressing recombination. As a result, the OSC based on dYTAT-C6-F exhibits a significantly improved PCE of 18.08%, the highest among dimerized acceptors with linkers in the branching direction. Additionally, the OSC based on dYTAT-C6-F demonstrates a T80 lifetime of 1840 h. These results indicate that conjugation breakages can tune molecular solubility, aggregation, and carrier mobility and that optimizing the linker length further improves these characteristics. The findings highlight the significant potential of engineering linkers in the branching direction to achieve outstanding OSC performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunpeng Wang
- 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
| | - Hanjian Lai
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Yongmin Luo
- Function Hub, Advanced Materials Thrust, Nansha, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, 511400, China
| | - Xuechun Yang
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Yafei Ding
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jiaying Wu
- Function Hub, Advanced Materials Thrust, Nansha, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, 511400, 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, Guangdong, 518055, China
- Institute of Innovative Materials, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
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16
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Wang Y, Zhou R, Zheng Z, Kang Q, Chen X, Yan H. Impact of the Torsion Angle in Y6-Backbone Acceptors on the Open-Circuit Voltage in Organic Solar Cells. J Phys Chem Lett 2025; 16:3157-3164. [PMID: 40109169 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.5c00501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/22/2025]
Abstract
In organic solar cells (OSCs), optimizing the molecular geometry is crucial for improving device efficiency by reducing recombination rates and maximizing charge transfer (CT) state energy. Understanding the structure-property relationship regarding molecular geometry, electronic structure, and open-circuit voltage (Voc) is essential. By employing molecular dynamics simulations and density functional theory calculations, we explored how intramolecular torsion angles (θ) between conjugated moieties impact Voc. Small θ promotes molecular orbital energy degeneracy, reducing the CT energy (ECT) and its energetic disorder (σCT). While a low ECT can increase non-radiative energy losses (ΔEnr), a small σCT decreases ΔEnr. Balancing these effects is essential to maximize the value of ECT - ΔEnr for high Voc. L8-BO exhibits large θ, resulting in high ECT of 1.17 eV in PM6/L8-BO compared to 1.04 eV in PM6/Y6, while the latter has 0.17 eV lower ΔEnr. Consequently, PM6/L8-BO achieved a Voc of 0.87 V, surpassing 0.81 V of PM6/Y6. These findings were consistent with experimental 0.89 V in PM6/L8-BO and 0.84 V in PM6/Y6. This study demonstrates the crucial role of intramolecular dihedral angles on OSC material design, as they significantly influence the conjugation effect and CT state distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Wang
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, People's Republic of China
| | - Rongkun Zhou
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, People's Republic of China
| | - Zilong Zheng
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian Kang
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoqing Chen
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Yan
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, People's Republic of China
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17
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Fan R, Yu J, Xie Z, Liu L. In Situ Raman Spectra and Machine Learning Assistant Thermal Annealing Optimization for Effective Phototransistors. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2025; 17:18701-18710. [PMID: 40074680 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c23070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2025]
Abstract
The relationship between the structure and function of condensed matter is complex and changeable, which is especially suitable for combination with machine learning to quickly obtain optimized experimental conditions. However, little research has been done on the effect of temperature on condensed matter and how it affects device performance because the difference between the in situ physical property parameters (which are lowered by the surface tension and mixing entropy) and the basic parameters of the bulk makes accurate AI predictions difficult. In this work, P3HT/ITIC was chosen as the donor/acceptor material for the active layer of organic phototransistors (OPTs). The thermal annealing process has been detected by DSC, UV, and Raman, where Raman can catch the lowest critical phase transition temperatures and give the best raw data for exact machine learning. An accurate and reliable model was developed to predict and screen the optimal annealing temperature at 110 °C for OPTs to reach maximum Dshot* values of 3.51 × 1012 Jones with low power consumption of 54 pJ. This study provides a new idea for the in-depth exploration of the mechanism of the effect of temperature on condensed matter to achieve the precise regulation and optimization of the performance of organic optoelectronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruisi Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular Aggregates, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, P. R. China
| | - Jiuheng Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular Aggregates, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, P. R. China
| | - Zengqi Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular Aggregates, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, P. R. China
| | - Linlin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular Aggregates, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, P. R. China
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18
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Xiong S, Zhu Y, Wang Y, Li M, Li H, Lai X, He F. Controlling Morphology and Improving Stability with High-Boiling-Point Additive for Efficient Organic Solar Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2025; 17:18473-18481. [PMID: 40094444 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5c01134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2025]
Abstract
The rapid advancement of solar photovoltaic technology underscores the growing significance of organic solar cells (OSCs) in renewable energy solutions. A critical challenge in optimizing OSC performance lies in achieving precise control over active layer nanomorphology. In this study, we innovatively introduce a high-boiling-point liquid additive, 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene (1,2,4-TCB), as a superior alternative to the conventional additive 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO). Compared to DIO, 1,2,4-TCB significantly enhances the molecular ordering of acceptors and improves the miscibility between the donor (D18) and acceptor (Y6) materials, leading to a notable increase in power conversion efficiency (PCE) from 17.56% to 18.80%. It has been revealed that 1,2,4-TCB promotes superior molecular packing, particularly for acceptor molecules from the grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering. The contact angle measurements further demonstrate improved donor-acceptor miscibility, resulting in an optimized bicontinuous interpenetrating network morphology. This morphology effectively enhances exciton separation, facilitates charge transport, and minimizes recombination losses. In addition to performance improvements, 1,2,4-TCB-based devices exhibit exceptional photostability (T80 = 981 h) and storage stability (T80 = 2708 h), significantly outperforming their DIO-based counterparts. These findings not only establish the potential of high-boiling-point additives like 1,2,4-TCB in boosting OSC efficiency and stability but also provide a promising strategy to advance the commercial viability of this technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilong Xiong
- 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
| | - Yunpeng Wang
- 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
| | - Heng Li
- 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
| | - Feng He
- Shenzhen Grubbs Institute and Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Institute of Innovative Materials, 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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19
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Ouyang Y, Wang R, Wang X, Xiao M, Zhang C. Ultrafast energy transfer beyond the Förster approximation in organic photovoltaic blends with non-fullerene acceptors. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2025; 11:eadr5973. [PMID: 40117354 PMCID: PMC11927626 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adr5973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 12/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2025]
Abstract
Recent studies on organic photovoltaic (OPV) systems have highlighted the critical role of energy transfer in excited-state dynamics. This process has traditionally been explained through the model of long-range Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). In this study, we demonstrate a donor-to-acceptor short-range energy transfer (SRET) mechanism in OPV blends with non-fullerene acceptors, extending beyond the Förster approximation. This SRET occurs as a two-step process mediated by interfacial excitations with mixed charge-transfer and local excitation features. We further validate this model through studies on planar heterojunctions, precisely controlling the thickness of interlayers. These findings underscore the short-range interactions in regulating the donor-to-acceptor energy transfer in OPV blends, suggesting that SRET should be considered alongside FRET and charge-transfer processes for device optimizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanni Ouyang
- National Laboratory of Solid-State Microstructures, School of Physics, Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Microstructures, and Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Rui Wang
- National Laboratory of Solid-State Microstructures, School of Physics, Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Microstructures, and Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
- College of Physics, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and Key Laboratory of Aerospace Information Materials and Physics (NUAA), MIIT, Nanjing 211106, China
- Institute of Materials Engineering, Nanjing University, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Xiaoyong Wang
- National Laboratory of Solid-State Microstructures, School of Physics, Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Microstructures, and Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Min Xiao
- National Laboratory of Solid-State Microstructures, School of Physics, Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Microstructures, and Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
- Department of Physics, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Chunfeng Zhang
- National Laboratory of Solid-State Microstructures, School of Physics, Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Microstructures, and Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
- Institute of Materials Engineering, Nanjing University, Nantong 226001, China
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20
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Sharma R, Kashyap C, Kalita T, Sharma PK. Assessment of Charge Transfer Energies of Noncovalently Bounded Ar-TCNE Complexes Using Range-Separated Density Functionals and Double-hybrid Density Functionals. Chemphyschem 2025; 26:e202400784. [PMID: 39587880 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202400784] [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: 08/09/2024] [Revised: 11/25/2024] [Accepted: 11/25/2024] [Indexed: 11/27/2024]
Abstract
Charge Transfer (CT) molecular complexes have recently received much attention in a broad variety of fields. The time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT), which is essential for studying CT complexes, is a well-established tool to study the excited states of relatively large molecular systems. However, when dealing with donor-acceptor molecules with CT characteristics, TDDFT calculations based on standard functionals can severely underestimate the excitation energies. The TDDFT methodology, combined with range-separated DFT and range-separated double-hybrid DFT functionals, had previously been used by different research groups to reliably predict the excitation energies of different charge transfer molecular complexes. We follow the same path to calculate the excited state charge transfer energy of some selected molecular complexes, such as, Ar-TCNE (TCNE=tetracyanoethylene; Ar= benzene, naphthalene, anthracene, etc.). The interactions between the donor-acceptor moieties of these molecular complexes are also studied and the relationship between the interaction and the charge transfer energies are shown here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohan Sharma
- Department of Chemistry, Cotton University, Guwahati, 781001, India
| | - Chayanika Kashyap
- Department of Chemistry, Handique Girls' College, Guwahati, 781001, India
| | - Trishna Kalita
- Department of Chemistry, Cotton University, Guwahati, 781001, India
| | - Pankaz K Sharma
- Department of Chemistry, Cotton University, Guwahati, 781001, India
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21
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The role of non-fullerene acceptors continues. NATURE MATERIALS 2025; 24:323. [PMID: 40038535 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-025-02177-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2025]
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22
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Pepa PE, Afungchui D, Holtomo O, Ebobenow J. Parameters critically affecting the open circuit voltage of an organic solar cell. Heliyon 2025; 11:e42684. [PMID: 40051845 PMCID: PMC11883351 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e42684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2024] [Revised: 12/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2025] [Indexed: 03/09/2025] Open
Abstract
This paper investigates the influence of different parameters on the open circuit voltage of an organic solar cell (OSC) and how the open circuit voltage impacts the cell's power conversion efficiency. These parameters include temperature, light intensity, recombination, charge carrier density, charge carrier mobility ratio, and the reverse saturation current. Organic solar cells' power conversion efficiency is still far from ideal and is currently about 20 %. In the approach, mathematical expressions governing these parameters are established and simulations are then performed in which all other parameters are held at their optimal values and one parameter of interest is varied within a predetermined range. It is shown that the open circuit voltage (Voc) can theoretically reach a value of about 2.34 V if the following parameters are maintained optimal: light intensity, charge-carrier density (1 × 1018cm-3), charge carrier mobility ratio (10) and cell temperature (320 K). It is shown that the open circuit voltage (Voc) is negatively impacted by recombination (up to 30 Ω). Lastly, the power conversion efficiency is predicted to be 20 % at 0.63 V and can reach a theoretical value of 37 % at a Voc of 1.0 V, at a power intensity input of 6.578 w/m2, and a fill factor of 0.89 (max for silicon).
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Affiliation(s)
- Pelote Elvis Pepa
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, The University of Bamenda, P. O. Box 39, Bambili, Cameroon
| | - David Afungchui
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, The University of Bamenda, P. O. Box 39, Bambili, Cameroon
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Buea, SWR, Cameroon
| | - Olivier Holtomo
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, The University of Bamenda, P. O. Box 39, Bambili, Cameroon
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, The University of Maroua, P. O. Box 814, Maroua, Cameroon
| | - Joseph Ebobenow
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Buea, SWR, Cameroon
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23
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Miao X, Zhang Y, Han G, Zhu L, Yi Y. Toward Low Energetic Disorder in Organic Solar Cells: The Critical Role of Polymer Donors. J Phys Chem Lett 2025; 16:1987-1993. [PMID: 39964059 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.5c00132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/28/2025]
Abstract
Compared with those of inorganic and perovskite solar cells, the power conversion efficiencies of organic solar cells (OSCs) are severely limited by a large energetic disorder. However, the origin of energetic disorder for OSCs remains poorly understood. Herein, we systematically investigate the energetic disorder in representative OSCs and the effect of both the acceptors and polymer donors by combining atomistic molecular dynamics simulations with density functional theory calculations. The results indicate that regardless of whether the OSCs are based on fullerene or acceptor-donor-acceptor (A-D-A) acceptors, the energetic disorder in the ionization potentials of the polymer donors is significantly larger than that in the electron affinities of the acceptors. Moreover, the energetic disorder of the donors matched with the fullerene acceptors is noticeably greater than that of the donors matched with the A-D-A acceptors. This implies that, different from our intuition, the reduction in the energetic disorder from the fullerene-based to A-D-A acceptor-based OSCs is primarily attributed to the change in the polymer donors rather than the acceptors. This work underscores the vital importance of optimizing polymer donors toward low energetic disorder for high-efficiency OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodan Miao
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy Sciences, Beijing 100049, 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
- University of Chinese Academy Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Guangchao Han
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Lingyun Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy Sciences, Beijing 100049, 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
- University of Chinese Academy Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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24
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Nakano K, Tajima K. Insights from Planar Heterojunctions: Understanding Charge Carrier Generation in Organic Photovoltaics. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2025; 17:11389-11396. [PMID: 39943709 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c21341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/28/2025]
Abstract
Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) have recently achieved high short-circuit current densities (JSC) approaching 30 mA/cm2 with internal quantum efficiencies surpassing 90%. In comparison to their inorganic or perovskite counterparts, a distinguishing feature of OPVs is the involvement of singlet or charge-transfer excitons in photoelectron conversion. A deeper understanding of the charge generation process with these excitons is crucial to further enhance JSC while maintaining the open-circuit voltage and fill factor. In this perspective, we provide new insights into the charge generation mechanisms and their electric field dependence derived from investigations using planar heterojunction structures and their comparison to bulk heterojunction systems. We aim to foster open discussion and collaboration within the research community to address the aforementioned challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyohei Nakano
- 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
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25
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Mishra A, Mahalik S, Mishra A. Influence of alkyl chain length on solar cell performance of molecular organic semiconductors: a review. Chem Commun (Camb) 2025; 61:3649-3668. [PMID: 39930858 DOI: 10.1039/d4cc06017b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/26/2025]
Abstract
Structural fine-tuning of organic semiconductors by side-chain modifications is indeed an important factor in enhancing the efficiency of organic solar cells (OSC). In this review, we recapitulate the recent efforts on side chain engineering of organic small molecules and their effect on molecular packing, crystallinity, charge transport, and solar cell properties. The influence of the length and branching position of side-chains on device performance are comprehensively discussed. The challenges and prospects of structural manipulations at the molecular level are discussed, with a focus on their relevance to the future technology of OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhisekh Mishra
- School of Chemistry, Sambalpur University, Jyoti Vihar, 768019, Sambalpur, Odisha, India.
| | - Sarbeswar Mahalik
- School of Chemistry, Sambalpur University, Jyoti Vihar, 768019, Sambalpur, Odisha, India.
| | - Amaresh Mishra
- School of Chemistry, Sambalpur University, Jyoti Vihar, 768019, Sambalpur, Odisha, India.
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26
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Zeng R, Deng J, Xue X, Tan S, Kan L, Lin Y, Zhong W, Zhu L, Han F, Zhou Y, Gao X, Zhang M, Zhang Y, Xu S, Liu F. Construction of Linear Tetramer-Type Acceptors for High-Efficiency and High-Stability Organic Solar Cells. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2025; 64:e202420453. [PMID: 39746868 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202420453] [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: 10/22/2024] [Revised: 12/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/02/2025] [Indexed: 01/04/2025]
Abstract
Thanks to the development of non-fullerene acceptor (NFA) materials, the photovoltaic conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic solar cells (OSCs) has exceeded 20 %, which has met the requirements for commercialisation. In the current stage, the main focus is to balance the performance and stability. It has been shown that all-polymer formulation can improve device stability, however, PCE is not in satifsfaction, and the batch-to-batch variation leads to quality control issues. In this work, we constructed monodispersed tetramer NFA materials named G-1 and G-2, to best integrate the merits of small molecule and polymer. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experimental results showed that different connecting units at the centre could significantly affect the molecular planarity and thin film morphology. The alkene-bonded tetramer G-1 had a more regioregular structure, which leads to better molecular planarity, and more ordered packing in thin film. More importantly, the oligomeration induced a favourable face-on orientation, achieved a lower binding energy and exhibited a higher photoluminescence yield. As a result, the exciton and charge carrier kinetics was optimized with reduced non-radiative energy loss. The OSC based on PM6 : G-1 achieved a PCE of 19.6 %, which is the highest PCE reported so far for oligomer-based binary OSC. In addition, the device stability was largely improved, showing a lifetime over 10000 hours in the inverted OSC device.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Zeng
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Thermal Aging, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Jiawei Deng
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Thermal Aging, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Xiaonan Xue
- Shanghai OPV Solar New Energy Technology Co. Ltd., Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Sengke Tan
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Thermal Aging, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Lixuan Kan
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Thermal Aging, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, 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, P. R. China
| | - Wenkai Zhong
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Lei Zhu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Thermal Aging, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Fei Han
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Thermal Aging, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Yuhao Zhou
- College of Computer Science, Sichuan university, Chendu, 610207, China
| | - Xingyu Gao
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Thermal Aging, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Ming Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Thermal Aging, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Yongming Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Thermal Aging, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
- State Key Laboratory of Fluorinated Functional Membrane Materials and Dongyue Future Hydrogen Energy Materials Company, Zibo City, Shandong, 256401, China
| | - Shengjie Xu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Thermal Aging, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Feng Liu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Thermal Aging, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
- State Key Laboratory of Fluorinated Functional Membrane Materials and Dongyue Future Hydrogen Energy Materials Company, Zibo City, Shandong, 256401, China
- Suzhou Laboratory, Suzhou, 215100, P. R. China
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27
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Hasan MB, Parvez MM, Abir AY, Ahmad MF. A review on conducting organic polymers: Concepts, applications, and potential environmental benefits. Heliyon 2025; 11:e42375. [PMID: 39975833 PMCID: PMC11835703 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e42375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2024] [Revised: 01/17/2025] [Accepted: 01/29/2025] [Indexed: 02/21/2025] Open
Abstract
Polymer materials have long been valued for their insulating properties. But recent advancements have revealed their potential as electrically conductive materials, offering an alternative to traditional metallic conductors with the added benefit of reduced environmental impact. This review article provides a comprehensive overview of conducting organic polymers, focusing on their conceptual foundations, diverse applications, and their significant role in mitigating environmental pollution. The paper begins with an exploration of how polymeric materials have progressed from insulators to conductors, explaining the basic principles and mechanisms behind their electrical conductivity. It then provides an insight into the various applications enabled by their unique optical and electronic properties, including their use in light-emitting diodes, electrochromic displays, smart windows, fuel cells, solar cells, supercapacitors and batteries. Additionally, the review emphasizes the potential of conducting organic polymers in mitigating environmental pollution, particularly through their role in wastewater treatment and e-waste management. By examining recent advancements and promising future prospects, this article underscores the potential of conducting organic polymers to revolutionize both electronic technology and environmental sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md. Byzed Hasan
- Department of Chemistry, Pabna University of Science and Technology, Pabna-6600, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Masud Parvez
- Department of Chemistry, University of Barishal, Barishal-8254, Bangladesh
| | - Abrar Yasir Abir
- Department of Chemistry, Pabna University of Science and Technology, Pabna-6600, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Faruak Ahmad
- Department of Chemistry, Pabna University of Science and Technology, Pabna-6600, Bangladesh
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28
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Hasan AMM, Susan MABH. PEDOT:PSS polymer functionalized carbon nanotubes integrated with graphene oxide and titanium dioxide counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells. Heliyon 2025; 11:e42272. [PMID: 39931486 PMCID: PMC11808681 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e42272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2024] [Revised: 01/22/2025] [Accepted: 01/23/2025] [Indexed: 02/13/2025] Open
Abstract
This study aims at developing platinum-free dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). A novel quaternary composite comprising conductive Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotube (f-MWCNT), nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (Nr-GO), and titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been presented as a cost-efficient counter electrode (CE) of DSSC. The conductivity and structural property of MWCNT have been tailored by blending it with PEDOT:PSS. A small (25 wt%) incorporation of conductive polymer reduce agglomeration and increase the solution dispersity of MWCNTs that hinders due to the van der Waals and π-π stacking interaction of the individual tube. The reduced agglomeration facilitates efficient electron transport pathways as characterized by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and electron imaging techniques. Among the 3 studied quaternary composites the 2:1:1 ratio of f-MWCNT/Nr-GO/TiO2 (composite-1) shows a superior performance with a charge transfer resistance (R CT) of 7.27 Ω cm2 and a cathodic peak current density (J PC) of -17.08 mA cm-2. The cell achieves a noteworthy photoconversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.25 ± 0.32 % under standard test conditions at AM1.5G. The PCE of this quaternary composite is comparable to Pt thin film (5.53 ± 0.24 %) and 9 % higher than f-MWCNT/Nr-GO binary composite. The DSSC, constructed using this quaternary composite CE, displays extended cyclability and a prolonged chemical stability even after 500 reversible redox cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Md. Abu Bin Hasan Susan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Dhaka University Nanotechnology Centre (DUNC), University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
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29
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Hsu LY. Chemistry Meets Plasmon Polaritons and Cavity Photons: A Perspective from Macroscopic Quantum Electrodynamics. J Phys Chem Lett 2025; 16:1604-1619. [PMID: 39907268 PMCID: PMC11831673 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.4c03439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2024] [Revised: 01/10/2025] [Accepted: 01/29/2025] [Indexed: 02/06/2025]
Abstract
The interaction between light and molecules under quantum electrodynamics (QED) has long been less emphasized in physical chemistry, as semiclassical theories have dominated due to their relative simplicity. Recent experimental advances in polariton chemistry highlight the need for a theoretical framework that transcends traditional cavity QED and molecular QED models. Macroscopic QED is presented as a unified framework that seamlessly incorporates infinite photonic modes and dielectric environments, enabling applications to systems involving plasmon polaritons and cavity photons. This Perspective demonstrates the applicability of macroscopic QED to chemical phenomena through breakthroughs in molecular fluorescence, resonance energy transfer, and electron transfer. The macroscopic QED framework not only resolves the limitations of classical theories in physical chemistry but also achieves parameter-free predictions of experimental results, bridging quantum optics and material science. By addressing theoretical bottlenecks and unveiling new mechanisms, macroscopic QED establishes itself as an indispensable tool for studying QED effects on chemical systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang-Yan Hsu
- Institute
of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia
Sinica, Taipei 106, Taiwan
- Department
of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan
- Physics
Division, National Center for Theoretical
Sciences, Taipei 106, Taiwan
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30
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Huang Y, Yu Z, Yin A, Han GF, Lang XY, Brédas JL, Wang T, Jiang Q. Examining the Impact of 3D Multi-Arm Small Molecules on PM6 : Y6 Blend Reveals the Key Requirements for Their Electronic Properties. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2025; 64:e202418225. [PMID: 39586779 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202418225] [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: 09/22/2024] [Revised: 11/07/2024] [Accepted: 11/25/2024] [Indexed: 11/27/2024]
Abstract
While the emergence of PM6 : Y6 active layer re-energized the organic photovoltaic community, excessive aggregation of Y6 molecules induced by their strong intermolecular interactions has limited the performance of PM6 : Y6-based organic solar cells (OSCs). Adding 3D multi-arm small-molecule acceptors is an effective strategy to inhibit such aggregation. However, to maximize OSC efficiency, these molecules should also contribute to the electronic processes. Here, by taking a benzotriazole-based 3D four-arm small molecule (i.e., SF-BTA1) as representative example, we combine molecular dynamics simulations and density functional theory calculations to examine the molecular-scale impact of 3D multi-arm small molecules on morphological characteristics (especially at the nanoscale) and electronic properties of PM6 : Y6 blends. By considering the intermolecular packing distances, density, and patterns among PM6, Y6, and SF-BTA1 components, exciton transfer rates from SF-BTA1 to Y6 or PM6, charge transfer rates from Y6 or PM6 to SF-BTA1, electron/hole transfer rates among adjacent Y6/PM6 pairs, and radiative and non-radiative recombination processes, we draw a comprehensive picture that describes how 3D multi-arm small molecules improve morphological and electronic properties of PM6 : Y6 blends and thus the OSC efficiency. Furthermore, successful rationalization of these aspects allows us to point out key requirements regarding the electronic properties of 3D multi-arm small molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuehao Huang
- Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jilin University, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Ziwen Yu
- Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jilin University, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Ailing Yin
- Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jilin University, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Gao-Feng Han
- Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jilin University, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Xing-You Lang
- Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jilin University, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Jean-Luc Brédas
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Arizona, 85721-0041, Tucson, Arizona, United States
| | - Tonghui Wang
- Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jilin University, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Qing Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jilin University, 130022, Changchun, China
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Wang J, Li Y, Bi F, Yang C, Vasilopoulou M, Chu J, Bao X. Revealing Intrinsic Free Charge Generation: Promoting the Construction of Over 19% Efficient Planar p-n Heterojunction Organic Solar Cells. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2025; 64:e202417143. [PMID: 39776226 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202417143] [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: 09/06/2024] [Revised: 12/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/07/2025] [Indexed: 01/11/2025]
Abstract
Due to high binding energy and extremely short diffusion distance of Frenkel excitons in common organic semiconductors at early stage, mechanism of interface charge transfer-mediated free carrier generation has dominated the development of bulk heterojunction (BHJ) organic solar cells (OSCs). However, considering the advancements in materials and device performance, it is necessary to reexamine the photoelectric conversion in current-stage efficient OSCs. Here, we propose that the conjugated materials with specific three-dimensional donor-acceptor conjugated packing potentially exhibit distinctive charge photogeneration mechanism, which spontaneously split Wannier-Mott excitons to free carriers in pure phases. Subsequently, the pure planar p-n heterojunction (PHJ) OSCs based on green orthogonal solvents were prepared and exhibited comparable even greater performance to that of BHJ OSCs. More interestingly, by introducing PVDF-TrFE as intrinsic region to regulate built-in electric field of the device, the planar p-i-n PHJ OSCs achieved much higher efficiency (>18%) and stability. Moreover, a prominent efficiency of over 19% has been obtained via ternary optimization, which is the new efficiency record for PHJ OSCs up to date. This study points towards the distinguishing intrinsic free charge generation mechanism, opens up a new avenue for OSCs to collectively realize high-efficiency, long-term duration, and simplified device engineering for future commercialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Photoelectric Conversion and Utilization of Solar Energy, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
- Functional Laboratory of Solar Energy, Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, 266101, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, 266101, China
- Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics, Ministry of Education, Qingdao University of Science & Technology, Qingdao, 266042, China
| | - Yonghai Li
- Key Laboratory of Photoelectric Conversion and Utilization of Solar Energy, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
- Functional Laboratory of Solar Energy, Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, 266101, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, 266101, China
| | - Fuzhen Bi
- Key Laboratory of Photoelectric Conversion and Utilization of Solar Energy, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
- Functional Laboratory of Solar Energy, Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, 266101, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, 266101, China
| | - Chunpeng Yang
- Key Laboratory of Photoelectric Conversion and Utilization of Solar Energy, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
| | - Maria Vasilopoulou
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, National Centre for Scientific Research Demokritos, Athens, 15341, Greece
| | - Junhao Chu
- Key Laboratory of Photoelectric Conversion and Utilization of Solar Energy, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
- Functional Laboratory of Solar Energy, Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, 266101, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, 266101, China
| | - Xichang Bao
- Key Laboratory of Photoelectric Conversion and Utilization of Solar Energy, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
- Functional Laboratory of Solar Energy, Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, 266101, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, 266101, China
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Jian S, Zang Y, Meng S, Zhang M, Li Z, Chen Q, Chen H, Wang Q, Chen S, Xue L, Wang X, Zhang ZG. Halogen-Atom Engineering on Aromatic-Core in Tethered Small Molecule Acceptors for High-Performance Polymer Solar Cells. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2025; 21:e2411409. [PMID: 39937453 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202411409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2025]
Abstract
Tethered small molecular acceptors (SMAs), where multiple SMA-subunits are connected to the aromatic core via flexible chains, are proposed to suppress thermodynamic relaxation when blended with polymer donors to construct stable polymer solar cells (PSCs). However, optimizing their chemical structure to further enhance device performance remains a challenge, requiring careful fine-tuning between molecular aggregation and photovoltaic efficiency. In this study, the photovoltaic properties of tethered dimers are effectively modulated simply through halogen-atom engineering on the aromatic core. Specifically, DY-Cl with a chlorine atom and DY-Br with a bromine atom are designed. The study revealed the chloride acceptor enhances the intermolecular interaction, promotes charge transport, and optimizes the morphology of the active layer compared with its bromide counterpart. Notably, DY-Cl based PSCs achieves a power conversion efficiency of 18.72%, maintaining over 80% of initial PCE after operating for 1000 h. These findings underscore the potential advantages of halogen-atom engineering on tethered acceptors as a straightforward yet effective method to achieve high efficiency and stable PSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Jian
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Yu Zang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. 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, P. R. 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, P. R. China
| | - Zhengkai 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, P. R. 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, P. R. China
| | - Hongru 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, P. R. 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, P. R. China
| | - Shanshan Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Low-grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems CQU-NUS Renewable Energy Materials & Devices Joint Laboratory School of Energy & Power Engineering Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, P. R. China
| | - Lingwei Xue
- Yaoshan Laboratory, Pingdingshan University, Pingdingshan, Henan, 467000, P. R. China
| | - Xiuyu Wang
- Institute of Process Equipment, College of Energy Engineering, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang main road 38, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. 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, P. R. China
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Cotterill EL, Jaberi Y, Dhindsa JS, Boyle PD, Gilroy JB. Glaser-Hay-Coupled Random Copolymers Containing Boron Difluoride Formazanate Dyes. Macromol Rapid Commun 2025; 46:e2400786. [PMID: 39462480 PMCID: PMC11841661 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202400786] [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: 10/07/2024] [Revised: 10/11/2024] [Indexed: 10/29/2024]
Abstract
𝜋-Conjugated polymers, including those based on acetylenic repeating units, are an exciting class of materials that offer narrow optical band gaps and tunable frontier orbital energies that lead to their use in organic electronics. This work expands the knowledge of structure-property relationships of acetylenic polymers through the synthesis and characterization of a series of Glaser-Hay-coupled model compounds and random copolymers comprised of BF2 formazanate, fluorene, and/or bis(alkoxy)benzene units. The model compounds and copolymers synthesized exhibit redox activity associated with the reversible reduction of the BF2 formazanate units and the irreversible reduction of the fluorene and bis(alkoxy)benzene units. The copolymers exhibit absorption profiles characteristic or intermediate of their respective models and homopolymers, leading to broad absorption of UV-vis light. The alkyne linkages of the model compounds and copolymers are reacted with [Co2(CO)8] to convert the alkyne functional groups into cobalt carbonyl clusters. This transformation leads to blue-shifted absorption profiles due to a decrease in π-conjugation, demonstrating the ability to tune the properties of these materials through post-polymerization functionalization. The redox activity and broad absorption bands of the polymers reported make them excellent candidates for use in photovoltaics and other light-harvesting applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L. Cotterill
- Department of ChemistryThe University of Western Ontario1151 Richmond St. N.LondonONN6A 5B7Canada
| | - Yasmeen Jaberi
- Department of ChemistryThe University of Western Ontario1151 Richmond St. N.LondonONN6A 5B7Canada
| | - Jasveer S. Dhindsa
- Department of ChemistryThe University of Western Ontario1151 Richmond St. N.LondonONN6A 5B7Canada
| | - Paul D. Boyle
- Department of ChemistryThe University of Western Ontario1151 Richmond St. N.LondonONN6A 5B7Canada
| | - Joe B. Gilroy
- Department of ChemistryThe University of Western Ontario1151 Richmond St. N.LondonONN6A 5B7Canada
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Kim D, Tamilavan V, Huang CS, Lu Y, Yang E, Shin I, Yang HS, Park SH, Stranks SD, Lee BR. Reinforcing Bulk Heterojunction Morphology through Side Chain-Engineered Pyrrolopyrrole-1,3-dione Polymeric Donors for Nonfullerene Organic Solar Cells. ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS 2025; 8:1220-1229. [PMID: 39886452 PMCID: PMC11775866 DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.4c02670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2024] [Revised: 12/23/2024] [Accepted: 12/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2025]
Abstract
Organic solar cells (OSCs) are attracting significant attention due to their low cost, lightweight, and flexible nature. The introduction of nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs) has propelled OSC development into a transformative era. However, the limited availability of wide band gap polymer donors for NFAs poses a critical challenge, hindering further advancements. This study examines the role of developed wide band gap halogenated pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-1,3(2H,5H)-dione (PPD)-based polymers, in combination with the Y6 nonfullerene acceptor, in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) OSCs. We first focus on the electronic and absorbance modifications brought about by halogen substitution in PPD-based polymers, revealing how these adjustments influence the HOMO/LUMO energy levels and, subsequently, photovoltaic performance. Despite the increased V oc of halogenated polymers due to the optimal band alignment, power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) were decreased due to suboptimal blend morphologies. We second implemented PPD as a solid additive to PM6:Y6, forming ternary OSCs and further improving the PCE. The study provides a nuanced understanding of the interplay between molecular design, device morphology, and OSC performance and opens insights for future research to achieve an optimal balance between band alignment and favorable blend morphology for high-efficiency OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danbi Kim
- School
of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, West Cambridge Site, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge CB3 0AS, United Kingdom
- Cavendish
Laboratory, University of Cambridge, J. J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom
| | | | - Chieh-Szu Huang
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, West Cambridge Site, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge CB3 0AS, United Kingdom
| | - Yang Lu
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, West Cambridge Site, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge CB3 0AS, United Kingdom
- Cavendish
Laboratory, University of Cambridge, J. J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom
| | - Eunhye Yang
- Department
of Physics, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea
| | - Insoo Shin
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York 11201, United States
| | - Hyun-Seock Yang
- School
of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Heum Park
- Department
of Physics, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea
| | - Samuel D. Stranks
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, West Cambridge Site, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge CB3 0AS, United Kingdom
- Cavendish
Laboratory, University of Cambridge, J. J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom
| | - Bo Ram Lee
- School
of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
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Yuan S, Luo W, Xie M, Peng H. Progress in research on organic photovoltaic acceptor materials. RSC Adv 2025; 15:2470-2489. [PMID: 39867334 PMCID: PMC11758790 DOI: 10.1039/d4ra08370a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2025] [Indexed: 01/28/2025] Open
Abstract
In the past two decades, organic solar cells (OSCs) have begun to attract attention as the efficiency of inorganic solar cells gradually approaches the theoretical limit. In the early development stage of OSCs, p-type conjugated polymers and n-type fullerene derivatives were the most commonly used electron donors and acceptors. However, with further research, the shortcomings of fullerene materials have become increasingly apparent. In recent years, non-fullerene acceptor materials, including small molecules and polymers, have emerged as promising alternatives to fullerene derivatives. This review summarizes various types of acceptor materials in OSCs and analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of each.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijie Yuan
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University Changsha Hunan 410083 China
| | - Wenzhen Luo
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University Changsha Hunan 410083 China
| | - Mingfa Xie
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University Changsha Hunan 410083 China
| | - Hongjian Peng
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University Changsha Hunan 410083 China
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36
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Wu X, Gong Y, Li X, Qin S, He H, Chen Z, Liang T, Wang C, Deng D, Bi Z, Ma W, Meng L, Li Y. Inner Side Chain Modification of Small Molecule Acceptors Enables Lower Energy Loss and High Efficiency of Organic Solar Cells Processed with Non-halogenated Solvents. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2025; 64:e202416016. [PMID: 39320167 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202416016] [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: 08/21/2024] [Revised: 09/19/2024] [Accepted: 09/24/2024] [Indexed: 09/26/2024]
Abstract
Organic solar cells (OSCs) processed with non-halogenated solvents usually suffer from excessive self-aggregation of small molecule acceptors (SMAs), severe phase separation and higher energy loss (Eloss), leading to reduced open-circuit voltage (Voc) and power conversion efficiency (PCE). Regulating the intermolecular interaction to disperse the aggregation and further improve the molecular packing order of SMAs would be an effective strategy to solve this problem. Here, we designed and synthesized two SMAs L8-PhF and L8-PhMe by introducing different substituents (fluorine for L8-PhF and methyl for L8-PhMe) on the phenyl end group of the inner side chains of L8-Ph, and investigated the effect of the substituents on the intermolecular interaction of SMAs, Eloss and performance of OSCs processed with non-halogenated solvents. Through single crystal analysis and theoretical calculations, it is found that compared with L8-PhF, which possesses strong and abundant intermolecular interactions but downgraded molecular packing order, L8-PhMe with the methyl substituent possesses more effective non-covalent interactions, which improves the tightness and order of molecular packing. When blending the SMAs with polymer donor PM6, the differences in intermolecular interactions of the SMAs influenced the film formation process and phase separation of the blend films. The L8-PhMe based blend film exhibits shorten film formation and more homogeneous phase separation than those of the L8-PhF and L8-Ph based ones. Especially, the OSCs based on L8-PhMe show reduced non-radiative energy loss and enhanced Voc than the devices based on the other two SMAs. Consequently, the L8-PhMe based device processed with o-xylene (o-XY) and using 2PACz as the hole transport layer (HTL) shows an outstanding PCE of 19.27 %. This study highlights that the Eloss of OSCs processed with non-halogenated solvents could be decreased through regulating the intermolecular interactions of SMAs by inner side chain modification, and also emphasize the importance of effectivity rather than intensity of non-covalent interactions introduced in SMAs on the molecular packing, morphology and PCE of OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangxi Wu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemical Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yufei Gong
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemical Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaojun Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemical Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Shucheng Qin
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Haozhe He
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemical Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zekun Chen
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemical Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Tongling Liang
- School of Chemical Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Center for Physicochemical Analysis and Measurement, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Caixuan Wang
- School of Chemical Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication of Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Dan Deng
- School of Chemical Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication of Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Zhaozhao Bi
- State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Wei Ma
- State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Lei Meng
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemical Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yongfang Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemical Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Laboratory of Advanced Optoelectronic Materials, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Novel Semiconductor Materials and Devices, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China
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Pang S, Deng W, Pan L, Liu X, Shen Z, Li H, Cheng P, Zhu J, Yan W, Duan C. Efficient ternary organic solar cells with suppressed nonradiative recombination via B‒N based polymer donor. iScience 2025; 28:111682. [PMID: 39868050 PMCID: PMC11761936 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.111682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2024] [Revised: 10/22/2024] [Accepted: 12/20/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2025] Open
Abstract
Organic solar cells (OSCs) have developed rapidly in recent years. However, the energy loss (E loss) remains a major obstacle to further improving the photovoltaic performance. To address this issue, a ternary strategy has been employed to precisely tune the E loss and boost the efficiency of OSCs. The B‒N-based polymer donor has been proved to process high E(T1) and small ΔE ST characters, which can inhibition of CT state recombination. Herin, B‒N-based polymer donor PBNT-BDD was incorporated into the state-of-the-art PM6:L8-BO binary to construct ternary OSCs. Together with the optimal morphology, the ternary device affords an impressive power conversion efficiency of 18.95% with an improved open-circuit voltage (V oc), short-circuit density (J sc), and reduced E loss in comparison to the binary ones, which is the highest PCE for B‒N materials-based ternary device. This work broadens the selection of guest materials toward realizing the high performance of OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuting Pang
- Institute of Carbon Neutrality and New Energy, School of Electronics and Information Engineering, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Wanyuan Deng
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Langheng Pan
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Xinyuan Liu
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Zhibang Shen
- Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
| | - Hongxiang Li
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Pei Cheng
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Jiayuan Zhu
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Wensheng Yan
- Institute of Carbon Neutrality and New Energy, School of Electronics and Information Engineering, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Chunhui Duan
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
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38
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Li D, Xu Y, Li G, Zhao W, Da L, Zhou P, Tang B. Fluorinated-Quinoxaline Based Non-Fused Electron Acceptors Enables Efficient As-Cast Organic Solar Cells. Chemistry 2025:e202403972. [PMID: 39788901 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202403972] [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: 10/27/2024] [Revised: 01/08/2025] [Accepted: 01/08/2025] [Indexed: 01/12/2025]
Abstract
Non-fused electron acceptors have obtained increasing curiosity in organic solar cells (OSCs) thanks to simple synthetic route and versatile chemical modification capabilities. However, non-fused acceptors with varying quinoxaline core and as-cast device have rarely been explored, and the molecular structure-photovoltaic performance relationship of such acceptors remains unclear. Herein, two non-fused acceptors L19 and L21 with thienyl substituted non-fluorinated/fluorinated quinoxaline core were developed via five-step synthesis. Compared with L19, L21 with F-containing quinoxaline exhibited higher molar extinction coefficient, boosted charge mobility, improved exciton dissociation, more ordered molecular stacking and optimized film morphology. Thereafter, a notable power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 11.45 % could be obtained for the as-cast PBDB-T : L21 -based device, which is significantly better than the device based on PBDB-T : L19 (8.68 %). Furthermore, PM6 : Y6 : L21-based ternary devices were fabricated and exhibited the highest PCE of 17.81 %. This work discloses that the introduction of electron-withdrawing fluorinated quinoxaline core and appropriate side-chain engineering can play an important role in improving the performance of as-cast solar cell devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Li
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Institute of Materials and Clean Energy, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clean Production of Fine Chemicals, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, P. R. China
| | - Yan Xu
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Institute of Materials and Clean Energy, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clean Production of Fine Chemicals, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, P. R. China
| | - Gang Li
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Institute of Materials and Clean Energy, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clean Production of Fine Chemicals, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, P. R. China
| | - Wenrong Zhao
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Institute of Materials and Clean Energy, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clean Production of Fine Chemicals, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, P. R. China
| | - Lin Da
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Ping Zhou
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Bo Tang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Institute of Materials and Clean Energy, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clean Production of Fine Chemicals, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, P. R. China
- Laoshan Laboratory, Qingdao, 266200, P. R. China
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Cho Y, Sun Z, Li G, Zhang D, Yang S, Marks TJ, Yang C, Facchetti A. CF 3-Functionalized Side Chains in Nonfullerene Acceptors Promote Electrostatic Interactions for Highly Efficient Organic Solar Cells. J Am Chem Soc 2025; 147:758-769. [PMID: 39692398 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c13471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2024]
Abstract
The advent of next-generation nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs) has propelled major advances in organic solar cells (OSCs). Here we report an NFA design incorporating CF3-terminated side chains having varying N-(CH2)n-CF3 linker lengths (n = 1, 2, and 3) which introduce new intermolecular interactions, hence strong modulation of the photovoltaic response. We report a systematic comparison and contrast characterization of this NFA series with a comprehensive set of chemical/physical techniques versus the heavily studied third-generation NFA, Y6, revealing distinctive and beneficial properties of this new NFA series. Single-crystal diffraction analyses reveal unusual two-dimensional mesh-like crystal structures, featuring strong interactions between the side chain CF3-terminal and NFA core F substituents. These atomistic and morphological features contribute to enhanced charge mobility and significantly enhanced photovoltaic performance. We show that varying the CF3-terminated side chain linker length strongly modulates light harvesting efficiency as well as charge recombination and the photovoltaic bandgap. The CF3-(CH2)2-based OSC demonstrates the most balanced performance metrics, achieving a remarkable 19.08% power conversion efficiency and an exceptional 80.09% fill-factor. These results imply that introducing CF3-terminated side chains into other OSC conjugated constituents may accelerate next-generation solar cell development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongjoon Cho
- Department of Chemistry, the Materials Research Center, Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Zhe Sun
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), 50 UNIST-gil, Ulju-gun, Ulsan 44919, South Korea
| | - Guoping Li
- Department of Chemistry, the Materials Research Center, Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Dayong Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, the Materials Research Center, Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Sangjin Yang
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), 50 UNIST-gil, Ulju-gun, Ulsan 44919, South Korea
| | - Tobin J Marks
- Department of Chemistry, the Materials Research Center, Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Changduk Yang
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), 50 UNIST-gil, Ulju-gun, Ulsan 44919, South Korea
| | - Antonio Facchetti
- Department of Chemistry, the Materials Research Center, Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- School of Materials Science and Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
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40
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Langa F, de la Cruz P, Sharma GD. Organic Solar Cells Based on Non-Fullerene Low Molecular Weight Organic Semiconductor Molecules. CHEMSUSCHEM 2025; 18:e202400361. [PMID: 39240557 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202400361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024]
Abstract
The development of narrow bandgap A-D-A- and ADA'DA-type non-fullerene small molecule acceptors (NFSMAs) along with small molecule donors (SMDs) have led to significant progress in all-small molecule organic solar cells. Remarkable power conversion efficiencies, nearing the range of 17-18 %, have been realized. These efficiency values are on par with those achieved in OSCs based on polymeric donors. The commercial application of organic photovoltaic technology requires the design of more efficient organic conjugated small molecule donors and acceptors. In recent years the precise tuning of optoelectronic properties in small molecule donors and acceptors has attracted considerable attention and has contributed greatly to the advancement of all-SM-OSCs. Several reviews have been published in this field, but the focus of this review concerns the advances in research on OSCs using SMDs and NFSMAs from 2018 to the present. The review covers the progress made in binary and ternary OSCs, the effects of solid additives on the performance of all-SM-OSCs, and the recently developed layer-by-layer deposition method for these OSCs. Finally, we present our perspectives and a concise outlook on further advances in all-SM-OSCs for their commercial application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Langa
- Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Instituto de Nanociencia, Nanotecnología y Materiales Moleculares (INAMOL), Campus de la Fábrica de Armas, 45071, Toledo, Spain
| | - Pilar de la Cruz
- Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Instituto de Nanociencia, Nanotecnología y Materiales Moleculares (INAMOL), Campus de la Fábrica de Armas, 45071, Toledo, Spain
| | - Ganesh D Sharma
- Department of Physics, The LNM Institute of Information Technology, Jamdoli, Jaipur (Rai), 302031, India
- Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, The LNM Institute of Information Technology, Jamdoli, Jaipur (Rai), 302031, India
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41
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Song W, Shao X. Buckybowl-Based Fullerene Receptors. Chemistry 2025; 31:e202403383. [PMID: 39446344 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202403383] [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: 09/10/2024] [Accepted: 10/24/2024] [Indexed: 11/19/2024]
Abstract
Buckybowls, bowl-shaped polyaromatic hydrocarbons, have received intensive interest owing to their multifaceted potentials in supramolecular chemistry and materials science. Buckybowls possess unique chemical and physical properties associated with their concave and convex faces. In view of the shape complementarity, which is one of the key factors for host-guest assembly, buckybowls are ideal receptors for fullerenes. In fact, the host-guest assembly between buckybowls and fullerenes is one of the most active topics in buckybowls chemistry, and the resulting supramolecular materials show promising applications in optoelectronics, biomaterials, and so forth. In this tutorial review, we present an overview for the progress on fullerene receptors based on buckybowls over the last decade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenru Song
- Research Center for Free Radical Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Tianshui Southern Road 222, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Xiangfeng Shao
- Research Center for Free Radical Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Tianshui Southern Road 222, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China
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42
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Zhang S, Li S, Song S, Zhao Y, Gao L, Chen H, Li H, Lin J. Deep Learning-Assisted Design of Novel Donor-Acceptor Combinations for Organic Photovoltaic Materials with Enhanced Efficiency. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2025; 37:e2407613. [PMID: 39648547 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202407613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2024] [Revised: 10/24/2024] [Indexed: 12/10/2024]
Abstract
Designing donor (D) and acceptor (A) structures and discovering promising D-A combinations can effectively improve organic photovoltaic (OPV) device performance. However, to obtain excellent power conversion efficiency (PCE), the trial-and-error structural design in the infinite chemical space is time-consuming and costly. Herein, a deep learning (DL)-assisted design framework for OPV materials is proposed. To effectively digitally represent the D and A structures, a structure representation method, polymer fingerprints, is developed, and a database of OPV materials is constructed. By applying an end-to-end graph neural network modeling method, high-precision DL models for predicting OPV performance are established. After combining the existing structures, ≈0.6 million virtual D-A combinations are generated. Then, the OPV performance of these candidate combinations is predicted by the well-trained models, and numbers of novel D-A combinations with high efficiency are identified. Experimental validations confirm that the prediction accuracy is greater than 93% and one of the screened combinations (i.e., D18:BTP-S11) exhibits an efficiency above 19.3% in single-junction organic solar cells. Finally, based on the structural gene analysis, the design rules to guide experimental explorations are suggested. The developed DL-assisted approach can accelerate the design of D-A combinations with ultrahigh efficiency and bring property breakthroughs for OPV devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shizhao Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Shuixing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Siqin Song
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Yang Zhao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Liang Gao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Hongzheng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Hanying Li
- State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Jiaping Lin
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
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43
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He H, Zhong Z, Fan P, Zhao W, Yuan D. Regulating Optoelectronic and Thermoelectric Properties of Organic Semiconductors by Heavy Atom Effects. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2025; 21:e2405156. [PMID: 39535469 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202405156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2024] [Revised: 10/29/2024] [Indexed: 11/16/2024]
Abstract
Heavy atom effects can be used to enhance intermolecular interaction, regulate quinoidal resonance properties, increase bandwidths, and tune diradical characters, which have significant impacts on organic optoelectronic devices, such as organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), organic photovoltaics (OPVs), etc. Meanwhile, the introduction of heavy atoms is shown to promote charge transfer, enhance air stability, and improve device performances in the field of organic thermoelectrics (OTEs). Thus, heavy atom effects are receiving more and more attention. However, regulating heavy atoms in organic semiconductors is still meeting great challenges. For example, heavy atoms will lead to solubility and stability issues (tellurium substitution) and lack of versatile design strategy and effective synthetic methods to be incorporated into organic semiconductors, which limit their application in electronic devices. Therefore, this work timely summarizes the unique functionalities of heavy atom effects, and up-to-date progress in organic electronics including OFETs, OPVs, OLEDs, and OTEs, while the structure-performance relationships between molecular designs and electronic devices are clearly elucidated. Furthermore, this review systematically analyzes the remaining challenges in regulating heavy atoms within organic semiconductors, and design strategies toward efficient and stable organic semiconductors by the introduction of novel heavy atoms regulation are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao He
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - Ziting Zhong
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - Peng Fan
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - Wenchao Zhao
- Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Dafei Yuan
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
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44
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Cotterill EL, Gomes TC, Teare ACP, Jaberi Y, Dhindsa JS, Boyle PD, Rondeau‐Gagné S, Gilroy JB. Platinum-Centered Oligoynes Capped by Boron Difluoride Formazanate Dyes and Their Thin-Film Properties. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202403458. [PMID: 39331760 PMCID: PMC11639650 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202403458] [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: 09/24/2024] [Accepted: 09/27/2024] [Indexed: 09/29/2024]
Abstract
Since the Nobel prize winning discovery that polyacetylene could act as a semiconductor, there has been tremendous efforts dedicated to understanding and harnessing the unusual properties of π-conjugated polymers. Much of this research has focused on the preparation of oligoynes and polyynes with well-defined numbers of repeating alkyne units as models for carbyne. These studies are usually hampered by a structure-property relationship where the stability of the resulting materials decrease with the incorporation of additional alkyne units. Here, we describe a series of oligoynes, with up to 12 alkyne units, where electron-rich [Pt(PBu3)2]2+ units are incorporated at the center of the oligoyne backbones which are capped by electron-poor BF2 formazanate dyes. These compounds exhibit excellent stability and solubility, panchromatic absorption, and redox activity characteristic of their structural components. These traits facilitated thin-film studies of extended oligoyne materials, where it is shown that incorporating [Pt(PBu3)2]2+ units leads to smoother films, decreased conductivity on the microscale, and increased conductivity on the nanoscale when compared to metal-free analogs. Remarkably, our oligoynes have superior conductivity compared to the ubiquitous poly(3-hexylthiophene) semiconductor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L. Cotterill
- Department of ChemistryThe University of Western Ontario1151 Richmond St. N.London, ONN6A 3K7Canada
| | - Tiago C. Gomes
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of Windsor401 Sunset Ave.Windsor, ONN9B 3P4Canada
| | - Amélie C. P. Teare
- Department of ChemistryThe University of Western Ontario1151 Richmond St. N.London, ONN6A 3K7Canada
| | - Yasmeen Jaberi
- Department of ChemistryThe University of Western Ontario1151 Richmond St. N.London, ONN6A 3K7Canada
| | - Jasveer S. Dhindsa
- Department of ChemistryThe University of Western Ontario1151 Richmond St. N.London, ONN6A 3K7Canada
| | - Paul D. Boyle
- Department of ChemistryThe University of Western Ontario1151 Richmond St. N.London, ONN6A 3K7Canada
| | - Simon Rondeau‐Gagné
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of Windsor401 Sunset Ave.Windsor, ONN9B 3P4Canada
| | - Joe B. Gilroy
- Department of ChemistryThe University of Western Ontario1151 Richmond St. N.London, ONN6A 3K7Canada
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45
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Lan T, Wei T, Fenimore LM, Torkelson JM. Effect of Confinement on the Translational Diffusivity of Small Dye Molecules in Thin Polystyrene Films and Its Connection to Tg-Confinement and Fragility-Confinement Effects. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:12259-12267. [PMID: 39629935 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c06495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2024]
Abstract
Using fluorescence, we study the impact of nanoscale confinement on the translational diffusivity (D) of trace levels of a small-molecule dye, 9,10-bis(phenylethynyl)anthracene (BPEA), in supported polystyrene (PS) films via Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). Reductions in BPEA diffusivity are observed in films thinner than ∼200 nm, with D decreasing by 80-90% in 100 nm-thick films compared to bulk. The activation energy of BPEA diffusivity increases from ∼210 kJ/mol in bulk films to ∼370 kJ/mol in 130 nm-thick films. BPEA exhibits a greater diffusivity-confinement effect than a larger dye, decacyclene, in terms of the length scale at which the effects of confinement become evident and the percentage reduction in diffusivity. For both BPEA and decacyclene, the diffusivity-confinement effect in supported PS films occurs at a length scale much larger than that for the glass transition temperature (Tg)-confinement effect and somewhat larger than that for the fragility-confinement effect. This difference in confinement-effect length scales can be rationalized as follows: small-molecule dye diffusivity relates predominantly to short times in the α-relaxation distribution, whereas Tg relates to long times in the α-relaxation distribution, and fragility reflects the overall breadth of this relaxation time distribution. If confinement results in a narrower relaxation time distribution in PS films with the short-time relaxations being shifted to longer times and the longest-time relaxation regimes being shifted to shorter times, then Tg, diffusivity, and fragility all decrease at sufficient levels of confinement. If the narrowing with confinement begins with the shortest relaxation time regimes, then fragility and small-molecule dye diffusivity are influenced by confinement at larger length scales than Tg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Lan
- Department of Materials Science, Engineering Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Tong Wei
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Logan M Fenimore
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - John M Torkelson
- Department of Materials Science, Engineering Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
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46
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Dong Y, Zheng R, Qian D, Lee TH, Bristow HL, Shakya Tuladhar P, Cha H, Durrant JR. Activationless Charge Transfer Drives Photocurrent Generation in Organic Photovoltaic Blends Independent of Energetic Offset. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:33579-33586. [PMID: 39601273 PMCID: PMC11638955 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c11114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2024] [Revised: 11/15/2024] [Accepted: 11/18/2024] [Indexed: 11/29/2024]
Abstract
Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) have recently shown substantial progress in enhancing device efficiency, driven in particular by advances in the design of nonfullerene acceptors and the reduction of the energy offset driving exciton separation at the donor/acceptor interface. Herein, we employ temperature-dependent transient absorption spectroscopy to investigate the activation energy for charge generation and recombination in a range of bulk heterojunction blends with nonfullerene acceptors. Remarkably, we find that in all cases charge generation is almost activationless, in the range of 11-21 meV, independent of energetic offset. Geminate recombination is also observed to be almost activationless, with only the kinetics of bimolecular charge recombination being strongly temperature-dependent, with an activation energy >400 meV. Our observation of essentially activationless charge generation, independent of energy offset, strongly indicates that charge generation in such blends does not follow Marcus theory but can rather be considered an adiabatic process associated with the motion of thermally unrelaxed carriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Dong
- Department
of Chemistry and Centre for Processable Electronics, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, United
Kingdom
| | - Rui Zheng
- Department
of Chemistry and Centre for Processable Electronics, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, United
Kingdom
| | - Deping Qian
- Straits
Institute of Flexible Electronics (SIFE, Future Technologies), Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350117, China
| | - Tack Ho Lee
- Department
of Chemistry Education, Graduate Department of Chemical Materials,
Institute for Plastic Information and Energy Materials, Sustainable
Utilization of Photovoltaic Energy Research Center, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Helen L. Bristow
- Department
of Chemistry and Centre for Processable Electronics, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, United
Kingdom
| | - Pabitra Shakya Tuladhar
- Department
of Chemistry and Centre for Processable Electronics, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, United
Kingdom
| | - Hyojung Cha
- Department
of Hydrogen and Renewable Energy, Kyungpook
National University, Daegu 41566, Republic
of Korea
| | - James R. Durrant
- Department
of Chemistry and Centre for Processable Electronics, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, United
Kingdom
- SPECIFIC
and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea SA1 8EN, United
Kingdom
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47
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Liu J, Zhang Y, Liu X, Wen L, Wan L, Song C, Xin J, Liang Q. Solution Sequential Deposition Pseudo-Planar Heterojunction: An Efficient Strategy for State-of-Art Organic Solar Cells. SMALL METHODS 2024; 8:e2301803. [PMID: 38386309 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202301803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Organic solar cells (OSCs) are considered as a promising new generation of clean energy. Bulk heterojunction (BHJ) structure has been widely employed in the active layer of efficient OSCs. However, precise regulation of morphology in BHJ is still challenging due to the competitive coupling between crystallization and phase separation. Recently, a novel pseudo-planar heterojunction (PPHJ) structure, prepared through solution sequential deposition, has attracted much attention. It is an easy-to-prepare structure in which the phase separation structures, interfaces, and molecular packing can be separately controlled. Employing PPHJ structure, the properties of OSCs, such as power conversion efficiency, stability, transparency, flexibility, and so on, are usually better than its BHJ counterpart. Hence, a comprehensive understanding of the film-forming process, morphology control, and device performance of PPHJ structure should be considered. In terms of the representative works about PPHJ, this review first introduces the fabrication process of active layers based on PPHJ structure. Second, the widely applied morphology control methods in PPHJ structure are summarized. Then, the influences of PPHJ structure on device performance and other property are reviewed, which largely expand its application. Finally, a brief prospect and development tendency of PPHJ devices are discussed with the consideration of their challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangang Liu
- School of Electronics and Information, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710129, P.R. China
| | - Yutong Zhang
- School of Electronics and Information, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710129, P.R. China
| | - Xingpeng Liu
- School of Electronics and Information, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710129, P.R. China
| | - Liangquan Wen
- School of Electronics and Information, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710129, P.R. China
| | - Longjing Wan
- School of Electronics and Information, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710129, P.R. China
| | - Chunpeng Song
- School of Electronics and Information, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710129, P.R. China
| | - Jingming Xin
- School of Electronics and Information, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710129, P.R. China
| | - Qiuju Liang
- School of Microelectronics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710129, P.R. China
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Hu D, Tang H, Chen C, Lee DJ, Lu S, Li G, Hsu HY, Laquai F. Solid Additive Engineering for Next-generation Organic Photovoltaics. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2406949. [PMID: 39439131 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202406949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2024] [Revised: 09/30/2024] [Indexed: 10/25/2024]
Abstract
Solution-processed bulk heterojunction (BHJ) organic solar cells (OSCs) have emerged as a promising next-generation photovoltaic technology. In this emerging field, there is a growing trend of employing solid additives (SAs) to fine-tune the BHJ morphology and unlock the full potential of OSCs. SA engineering offers several significant benefits for commercialization, including the ability to i) control film-forming kinetics to expedite high-throughput fabrication, ii) leverage weak noncovalent interactions between SA and BHJ materials to enhance the efficiency and stability of OSCs, and iii) simplify procedures to facilitate cost-effective production and scaling-up. These features make SA engineering a key catalyst for accelerating the development of OSCs. Recent breakthroughs have shown that SA engineering can achieve an efficiency of 19.67% in single-junction OSCs, demonstrating its effectiveness in promoting the commercialization of organic photovoltaic devices. This review provides a comprehensive overview of significant breakthroughs and pivotal contributions of emerging SAs, focusing on their roles in governing film-forming dynamics, stabilizing phase separation, and addressing other crucial aspects. The rationale and design rules for SAs in highly efficient and stable OSCs are also discussed. Finally, the remaining challenges are summarized, and perspectives on future advances in SA engineering are offered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dingqin Hu
- KAUST Solar Center, Physical Sciences and Engineering Division (PSE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- School of Energy and Environment, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Centre for Functional Photonics (CFP), City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Hua Tang
- KAUST Solar Center, Physical Sciences and Engineering Division (PSE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Chen Chen
- School of Energy and Environment, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Centre for Functional Photonics (CFP), City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Duu-Jong Lee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Shirong Lu
- Department of Material Science and Technology, Taizhou University, Taizhou, 318000, P. R. China
| | - Gang Li
- Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hum, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong
| | - Hsien-Yi Hsu
- School of Energy and Environment, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Centre for Functional Photonics (CFP), City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, 518057, P. R. China
| | - Frédéric Laquai
- KAUST Solar Center, Physical Sciences and Engineering Division (PSE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Li K, Liu X, Zhong J, Chen Y, Zhang W, Wang P, Wu Y, Liao Q, An C, Fu H. Fully Non-Fused Ring Electron Acceptors Enable Effective Additive-Free Organic Solar Cells with Enhanced Exciton Diffusion Length. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2405525. [PMID: 39479727 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202405525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2024] [Revised: 10/12/2024] [Indexed: 12/28/2024]
Abstract
Low-cost photovoltaic materials and additive-free, non-halogenated solvent processing of photoactive layers are crucial for the large-scale commercial application of organic solar cells (OSCs). However, high-efficiency OSCs that possess all these advantages remain scarce due to the lack of insight into the structure-property relationship. In this work, three fully non-fused ring electron acceptors (NFREAs), DTB21, DTB22, and DTB23, are reported by utilizing a simplified 1,4-di(thiophen-2-yl)benzene (DTB) core with varied alkoxy chain lengths on the thiophene bridge. The material-only costs of these acceptors are only 11-13$ per gram. Importantly, DTB22 has an exciton diffusion length (LD) of up to 25.5 nm. The DTB21 and DTB23 exhibit decreased LDs of 20.1 and 23.1 nm, respectively. After blending with the polymer donor PBQx-TF, the PBQx-TF:DTB22 film exhibits the fastest hole transfer and the longest carrier recombination lifetime among these OSCs. Consequently, the optimal PBQx-TF:DTB22-based OSC achieves an excellent PCE of 17.00%, which is among the highest values for fully NFREAs. In contrast, the PBQx-TF:DTB21- and PBQx-TF:DTB23-based OSCs show relatively lower PCEs of 15.13% and 15.63%, respectively. Notably, all these OSCs are fabricated using toluene as the solvent, without any additives. Additionally, the DTB22-based OSC also demonstrates good stability, retaining 95% of its initial efficiency after 500 h without encapsulation in a glovebox.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Optical Materials and Photonic Devices, Department of Chemistry, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, P. R. China
| | - Xuefeng Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Optical Materials and Photonic Devices, Department of Chemistry, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, P. R. China
| | - Jianbin Zhong
- School of Physics and Materials Science, Guangzhou University, Guang-zhou, 510006, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- School of Physics and Materials Science, Guangzhou University, Guang-zhou, 510006, China
| | - Pingyang Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Optical Materials and Photonic Devices, Department of Chemistry, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, P. R. China
| | - Yishi Wu
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Optical Materials and Photonic Devices, Department of Chemistry, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, P. R. China
| | - Qing Liao
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Optical Materials and Photonic Devices, Department of Chemistry, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, P. R. China
| | - Cunbin An
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Optical Materials and Photonic Devices, Department of Chemistry, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, P. R. China
| | - Hongbing Fu
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Optical Materials and Photonic Devices, Department of Chemistry, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, P. R. China
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Yu N, Dong F, Li Z, Gao J, Lin Y, Wang M, Tang Z, Ma Z. Enhancing the Efficiency of Flexible, Large-Area, ITO-Free Organic Photovoltaic Devices. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2405135. [PMID: 39350448 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202405135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2024] [Revised: 09/09/2024] [Indexed: 12/13/2024]
Abstract
The development of flexible ITO-free devices is crucial for the industrial advancement of organic photovoltaic (OPV) technology. Here, a novel ITO-free device architecture is proposed, and ITO-free OPV devices are realized on glass substrates with performance comparable to that of ITO-based devices. It is also demonstrated that the performance of ITO-free devices on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates is limited due to the higher surface roughness of PET, leading to high voltage losses, low device quantum efficiency, and high device leakage current. To address the issue of high roughness on the PET surface, a polyimide (PI) modification strategy is developed and the PI-modified PET is employed as the substrate to construct flexible ITO-free OPV devices and large-area modules with an active area of up to 16.5 cm2. This approach leads to decreased trap-assisted recombination losses, enhanced exciton dissociation efficiency, and a reduced density of pinholes in flexible OPV devices, resulting in improved photovoltaic performance under both strong and weak illumination conditions. The outcomes of this work are expected to advance the industrial development of flexible organic photovoltaic technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Yu
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Center for Advanced Low-dimension Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Fangliang Dong
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Center for Advanced Low-dimension Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Zheng Li
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Center for Advanced Low-dimension Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Jiaxin Gao
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Center for Advanced Low-dimension Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Yi Lin
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Center for Advanced Low-dimension Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Ming Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Center for Advanced Low-dimension Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Zheng Tang
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Center for Advanced Low-dimension Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Zaifei Ma
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Center for Advanced Low-dimension Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
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