High open-circuit voltage small-molecule p-DTS(FBTTh 2 )2.ICBA bulk heterojunction solar cells – morphology, excited-state dynamics, and photovoltaic performance

Ko Kyaw, Aung Ko; Gehrig, Dominik; Zhang, Jie; Huang, Ye; Bazan, Guillermo C.; Laquai, Frédéric; Nguyen, Thuc -Quyen

doi:10.1039/C4TA06256F

Title: High open-circuit voltage small-molecule p-DTS(FBTTh ₂ )₂.ICBA bulk heterojunction solar cells – morphology, excited-state dynamics, and photovoltaic performance

Journal Article · Thu Nov 27 00:00:00 EST 2014 · Journal of Materials Chemistry. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/C4TA06256F· OSTI ID:1215416

Ko Kyaw, Aung Ko ^[1]; Gehrig, Dominik ^[2]; Zhang, Jie ^[1]; Huang, Ye ^[3]; Bazan, Guillermo C. ^[3]; Laquai, Frédéric ^[4]; Nguyen, Thuc -Quyen ^[3]

Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR) (Singapore). Inst. of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE).
Max Planck Inst. for Polymer Research, Mainz (Germany)
Univ. of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA (United States). Center for Polymers and Organic Solids.
Max Planck Inst. for Polymer Research, Mainz (Germany)

The photovoltaic performance of bulk heterojunction solar cells using the solution-processable small molecule donor 7,7'-(4,4-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-silolo[3,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene-2,6-diyl)bis(6-fluoro-4-(5'-hexyl-[2,2'-bithiophene]-5-yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole) (p-DTS(FBTTh₂)₂ in combination with indene-C60 bis-adduct (ICBA) as an acceptor is systematically optimized by altering the processing conditions. A high open-circuit voltage of 1 V, more than 0.2 V higher than that of a p-DTS(FBTTh₂)₂:PC₇₀BM blend, is achieved. However, the power conversion efficiency remains around 5% and thus is lower than ~8% previously reported for p-DTS(FBTTh₂)₂:PC₇₀BM. Transient absorption (TA) pump–probe spectroscopy over a wide spectral (Vis-NIR) and dynamic (fs to μs) range in combination with multivariate curve resolution analysis of the TA data reveals that generation of free charges is more efficient in the blend with PC₇₀BM as an acceptor. In contrast, blends with ICBA create more coulombically bound interfacial charge transfer (CT) states, which recombine on the sub-nanosecond timescale by geminate recombination. Furthermore, the ns to μs charge carrier dynamics in p-DTS(FBTTh₂)₂:ICBA blends are only weakly intensity dependent implying a significant contribution of recombination from long-lived CT states and trapped charges, while those in p-DTS(FBTTh₂)₂:PC₇₀BM decay via an intensity-dependent recombination mechanism indicating that spatially separated (free) charge carriers are observed, which can be extracted as photocurrent from the device.

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Research Organization:: SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-76SF00515

OSTI ID:: 1215416

Journal Information:: Journal of Materials Chemistry. A, Vol. 3, Issue 4; ISSN 2050-7488

Publisher:: Royal Society of ChemistryCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 28 works

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Title: High open-circuit voltage small-molecule p-DTS(FBTTh 2 )2.ICBA bulk heterojunction solar cells – morphology, excited-state dynamics, and photovoltaic performance

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Title: High open-circuit voltage small-molecule p-DTS(FBTTh ₂ )₂.ICBA bulk heterojunction solar cells – morphology, excited-state dynamics, and photovoltaic performance