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Unidirectional Sidechain Engineering to Construct Dual‐Asymmetric Acceptors for 19.23 % Efficiency Organic Solar Cells with Low Energy Loss and Efficient Charge Transfer

Journal Article · · Angewandte Chemie (International Edition)
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [1];  [5];  [6];  [7];  [1];  [5];  [1];  [8];  [6];  [9];  [9];  [2];  [1]
  1. State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials Xi'an Jiaotong University Xi'an 710049 China
  2. Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE) Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao (GHM) Joint Laboratory for Photonic-Thermal-Electrical Energy Materials and Devices The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hung Hom Kowloon Hong Kong 999077 China
  3. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Beijing Institute of Technology Beijing 100081 China
  4. State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials Xi'an Jiaotong University Xi'an 710049 China; School of Materials and Chemical Engineering Zhongyuan University of Technology Zhengzhou 451191 China
  5. School of Materials Science and Engineering Xi'an University of Science and Technology Xi'an 710054 China
  6. Key Laboratory for Physical Electronics and Devices of the Ministry of Education &, Shaanxi Key Lab of Photonic Technique for Information School of Electronics Science &, Engineering Faculty of Electronic and Information Engineering Xi'an Jiaotong University Xi'an 710049 China
  7. Laboratory of Advanced Optoelectronic Materials Suzhou Key Laboratory of Novel Semiconductor-Optoelectronics Materials and Devices College of Chemistry Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Soochow University Suzhou 215123 China
  8. School of Materials and Chemical Engineering Zhongyuan University of Technology Zhengzhou 451191 China
  9. Department of Physics Chemistry and Biology (IFM) Linköping University 58183 Linköping Sweden

Abstract

Achieving both high open‐circuit voltage (Voc) and short‐circuit current density (Jsc) to boost power‐conversion efficiency (PCE) is a major challenge for organic solar cells (OSCs), wherein high energy loss (Eloss) and inefficient charge transfer usually take place. Here, three new Y‐series acceptors of mono‐asymmetric asy‐YC11 and dual‐asymmetric bi‐asy‐YC9 and bi‐asy‐YC12 are developed. They share the same asymmetric D1AD2(D1=thieno[3,2‐b]thiophene and D2=selenopheno[3,2‐b]thiophene) fused‐core but have different unidirectional sidechain on D1side, allowing fine‐tuned molecular properties, such as intermolecular interaction, packing pattern, and crystallinity. Among the binary blends, the PM6 : bi‐asy‐YC12 one has better morphology with appropriate phase separation and higher order packing than the PM6 : asy‐YC9 and PM6 : bi‐asy‐YC11 ones. Therefore, the PM6 : bi‐asy‐YC12‐based OSCs offer a higher PCE of 17.16 % with both highVocandJsc, due to the reducedElossand efficient charge transfer properties. Inspired by the highVocand strong NIR‐absorption, bi‐asy‐YC12 is introduced into efficient binary PM6 : L8‐BO to construct ternary OSCs. Thanks to the broadened absorption, optimized morphology, and furtherly minimizedEloss, the PM6 : L8‐BO : bi‐asy‐YC12‐based OSCs achieve a champion PCE of 19.23 %, which is one of the highest efficiencies among these annealing‐free devices. Our developed unidirectional sidechain engineering for constructing bi‐asymmetric Y‐series acceptors provides an approach to boost PCE of OSCs.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Advanced Light Source (ALS)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
2422753
Journal Information:
Angewandte Chemie (International Edition), Journal Name: Angewandte Chemie (International Edition) Journal Issue: 36 Vol. 62; ISSN 1433-7851
Publisher:
Wiley
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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