Efficient and mechanically-robust organic solar cells based on vertical stratification modulation through sequential blade-coating

Zhu, Qinglian; Xue, Jingwei; Lu, Guanyu; Lin, Baojun; Naveed, Hafiz Bilal; Bi, Zhaozhao; Lu, Guanghao; Ma, Wei

doi:10.1016/j.nanoen.2022.107194

Efficient and mechanically-robust organic solar cells based on vertical stratification modulation through sequential blade-coating

Journal Article · Sun Mar 27 00:00:00 EDT 2022 · Nano Energy

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nanoen.2022.107194· OSTI ID:1981717

Zhu, Qinglian ^[1]; Xue, Jingwei ^[1]; Lu, Guanyu ^[1]; Lin, Baojun ^[1]; Naveed, Hafiz Bilal ^[1]; Bi, Zhaozhao ^[1]; Lu, Guanghao ^[1]; Ma, Wei ^[1]

Xi’an Jiaotong University (China)

Mechanically durable organic solar cells (OSCs) with high efficiency are deemed as the ideal candidate for the power source of the next generation wearable electronic devices. However, the brittle nature of small molecules in most high-efficiency OSCs consisting of polymer and small molecule encourages easy formation of cracks in the photoactive film under deformation. Here, the vertical composition distribution of the active layer has been well optimized through sequential blade coating to realize highly deformable while efficient OSC. The optimized morphology exhibits distinct donor-rich and homogenous region distributed along the vertical direction in the bulk. The donor-rich region provides sufficient chain entanglements and strong interfaces beneficial for mechanical robustness of film, while homogeneously mixed region offers continuous interpenetrating network to maintain high device through-put, resulting in superior efficiency of 14.4% with high crack-onset strain (COS) of 30.5%. This efficiency versus COS combination is much higher than the best combination reported in all polymer systems (COS of 15.9% and efficiency of 11.1%). To the best of our knowledge, it is the highest COS value achieved in polymer-small molecule systems. As a result, the rational control over vertical stratification demonstrated here would guide researchers in the development of innovative wearable electronics.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Advanced Light Source (ALS)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 1981717

Journal Information:: Nano Energy, Journal Name: Nano Energy Journal Issue: C Vol. 97; ISSN 2211-2855

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
Chemistry
Materials Science
Mechanical properties
Organic solar cells
Physics
Science & Technology - Other Topics
Sequential blade casting
Vertical phase separation

Efficient and mechanically-robust organic solar cells based on vertical stratification modulation through sequential blade-coating

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