Temperature‐Dependent Aggregation Donor Polymers Enable Highly Efficient Sequentially Processed Organic Photovoltaics Without the Need of Orthogonal Solvents

Arunagiri, Lingeswaran; Zhang, Guangye; Hu, Huawei; Yao, Huatong; Zhang, Kai; Li, Yunke; Chow, Philip C. Y.; Ade, Harald; Yan, He

doi:10.1002/adfm.201902478

Title: Temperature‐Dependent Aggregation Donor Polymers Enable Highly Efficient Sequentially Processed Organic Photovoltaics Without the Need of Orthogonal Solvents

Journal Article · 10 June 2019 · Advanced Functional Materials

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.201902478 · OSTI ID:1525545

^[1]; Zhang, Guangye ^[1]; Hu, Huawei ^[2]; Yao, Huatong ^[1]; Zhang, Kai ^[1]; Li, Yunke ^[1]; Chow, Philip C. Y. ^[1]; Ade, Harald ^[2];

^[1]

Shenzhen Research Institute The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology No. 9 Yuexing 1st RD, Hi‐tech Park, Nanshan Shenzhen 518057 P. R. China, Department of Chemistry and Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Clear Water Bay Kowloon Hong Kong
Department of Physics and Organic and Carbon Electronics Labs (ORaCEL) North Carolina State University Raleigh NC 27695 USA

Abstract The conventional method to prepare bulk‐heterojunction organic photovoltaics (OPVs) is a one‐step method from the blend solution of donor and acceptor materials, known as blend‐casting (BC). Recently, an alternative method was demonstrated to achieve high efficiencies (13%) comparable to state‐of‐the‐art BC devices. This two‐step‐coating method, known as “sequential processing,” (SqP) involves sequential deposition of the donor and then the acceptor from two orthogonal solvents. However, the requirement of orthogonal solvents to process the donor and acceptor constrains the choice of materials and processing solvents. In this paper, an improved version of SqP method without the need for using orthogonal solvents is reported. The success is based on donor polymers with strong temperature‐dependent aggregation properties whose solution can be processed at a high temperature, but the resulting film becomes completely insoluble at room temperature, which allows for the processing of overlying acceptors from a wide range of nonorthogonal solvents. With this approach, efficient SqP OPVs is demonstrated based on a range of donor/acceptor materials and processing solvents, and, in every single case, SqP OPVs can outperform their BC counterparts. The results broaden the solvent choices and open a much larger window to optimize the processing parameters of SqP method.

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Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 1525545

Journal Information:: Advanced Functional Materials, Journal Name: Advanced Functional Materials Journal Issue: 33 Vol. 29; ISSN 1616-301X

Publisher:: Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: Germany

Language:: English

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