Design of All-Small-Molecule Organic Solar Cells Approaching 14% Efficiency via Isometric Terminal Alkyl Chain Engineering

Haiyan Chen, Hua Tang, Dingqin Hu, Yiqun Xiao, Jiehao Fu, Jie Lv, Qingqing Yu, Zeyun Xiao, Xinhui Lu, Hanlin Hu and Shirong Lu
Additional contact information
Haiyan Chen: Chongqing University, 174 Shazhengjie, Shapingba, Chongqing 400044, China
Hua Tang: Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
Dingqin Hu: Chongqing University, 174 Shazhengjie, Shapingba, Chongqing 400044, China
Yiqun Xiao: Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
Jiehao Fu: Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
Jie Lv: Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
Qingqing Yu: Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
Zeyun Xiao: Chongqing University, 174 Shazhengjie, Shapingba, Chongqing 400044, China
Xinhui Lu: Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
Hanlin Hu: Hoffman Institute of Advanced Materials, Shenzhen Polytechnic, 7098 Liuxian Boulevard, Shenzhen 518055, China
Shirong Lu: Chongqing University, 174 Shazhengjie, Shapingba, Chongqing 400044, China

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-11

Abstract: Morphology is crucial to determining the photovoltaic performance of organic solar cells (OSCs). However, manipulating morphology involving only small-molecule donors and acceptors is extremely challenging. Herein, a simple terminal alkyl chain engineering process is introduced to fine-tune the morphology towards high-performance all-small-molecule (ASM) OSCs. We successfully chose a chlorinated two-dimension benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene (BDT) central unit and two isomeric alkyl cyanoacetate as the end-capped moieties to conveniently synthesize two isomeric small-molecule donors, namely, BT-R O -Cl and BT-R EH -Cl, each bearing linear n-octyl (O) as the terminal alkyl chain and another branched 2-ethylhexyl (EH) as the terminal alkyl chain. The terminal alkyl chain engineering process provided BT-R O -Cl with 13.35% efficiency and BT-R EH -Cl with 13.90% efficiency ASM OSCs, both with Y6 as the electron acceptor. The successful performance resulted from uniform phase separation and the favorable combination of face-on and edge-on molecular stacking of blended small-molecule donors and acceptors, which formed a fluent 3D transport channel and thus delivered high and balanced carrier mobilities. These findings demonstrate that alkyl chain engineering can finely control the morphology of ASM OSCs, and provides an alternative for the optimal design of small-molecule materials towards high-performance ASM OSCs.

Keywords: organic solar cell; small-molecule donor; alkyl chains; morphology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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