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All-Polymer Solar Cells: Recent Progress, Challenges, and Prospects

Journal Article · · Angewandte Chemie (International Edition)
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [1]
  1. Department of Chemistry, the Materials Research Center, the Argonne-Northwestern Solar Energy Research Center, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road Evanston IL 60208 USA
  2. Department of Chemistry, the Materials Research Center, the Argonne-Northwestern Solar Energy Research Center, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road Evanston IL 60208 USA; Flexterra Corporation, 8025 Lamon Avenue Skokie IL 60077 USA
For over two decades bulk-heterojunction polymer solar cell (BHJ-PSC) research was dominated by donor:acceptor BHJ blends based on polymer donors and fullerene molecular acceptors. This situation has changed recently, with non-fullerene PSCs developing very rapidly. The power conversion efficiencies of non-fullerene PSCs have now reached over 15 %, which is far above the most efficient fullerene-based PSCs. Among the various non-fullerene PSCs, all-polymer solar cells (APSCs) based on polymer donor-polymer acceptor BHJs have attracted growing attention, due to the following attractions: 1) large and tunable light absorption of the polymer donor/polymer acceptor pair; 2) robustness of the BHJ film morphology; 3) compatibility with large scale/large area manufacturing; 4) long-term stability of the cell to external environmental and mechanical stresses. This Minireview highlights the opportunities offered by APSCs, selected polymer families suitable for these devices with optimization to enhance the performance further, and discusses the challenges facing APSC development for commercial applications.
Research Organization:
Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Center for Light Energy Activated Redox Processes (LEAP); Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE SC Office of Basic Energy Sciences (SC-22)
DOE Contract Number:
SC0001059
OSTI ID:
1566401
Journal Information:
Angewandte Chemie (International Edition), Journal Name: Angewandte Chemie (International Edition) Journal Issue: 13 Vol. 58; ISSN 1433-7851
Publisher:
Wiley
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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