High-efficiency single and tandem fullerene solar cells with asymmetric monofluorinated diketopyrrolopyrrole-based polymer

Design and synthesis of low bandgap(LBG) polymer donors is inevitably challenging and their processability from a non-halogenated solvent system remains a hurdle to overcome in the area of highperformance polymer solar cells(PSCs).Due to a high aggregation tendency of LBG polymers,especially diketopyrrolopyrrole(DPP)-based polymers coupled with bithiophenes in the polymer backbones,their widespread adoption in non-ha logena ted solvent-processed PSCs has been limited.Herein,a novel LBG DPP-based...     

Broad absorbing low-bandgap polythiophene derivatives incorporating separate and content-tunable benzothiadiazole and carbazole moieties for polymer solar cells

Three novel low-bandgap (LGB) conjugated polythiophenes (PThBTD_mCz_n) incorporating separate and content-tunable benzothiadiazole and carbazole moieties have been designed and synthesized for application in bulk heterojunction polymer solar cells (PSCs). The absorption spectral, thermal, electrochemical and photovoltaic properties of the random copolymers were investigated. Broad absorption from a single polymer covering the visible region from 300 to 800 nm was observed, which was ideal for highly efficient harvesting of the solar spectrum. DSC analysis showed that the polymers readily crystallized, indicating highly ordered intermolecular packing, which is beneficial for efficient charge-carrier transport. Electrochemical studies indicate desirable HOMO/LUMO levels that enable a high open-circuit voltage while blending them with fullerene derivatives as electron acceptors. Polymer solar cells using 1:1 or 1:2 wt/wt polymer: PC₆₁BM (methanofullerene [6,6-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester] blends as the photoactive layers were fabricated and characterized. The preliminary investigation on the photovoltaic device of the PThBTD_mCz_n polymers gave similar power conversion efficiency of 1.1-1.2% with V_oc of 0.64-0.68 V under simulated solar light AM 1.5 G (100 mW/cm²).     

Dithienocarbazole- and benzothiadiazole-based donor-acceptor conjugated polymers for bulk heterojunction polymer solar cells

Donor-acceptor(D-A)-conjugated polymers P(BT-C1)and P(BT-C2),with dithieno[2,3-b;7,6-b]carbazole(C1)or dithieno[3,2-b;6,7-b]carbazole(C2)as D-unit and benzothiadiazole(BT)as A-unit,were synthesized.The optical bandgaps of the polymers are similar(1.84 and 1.88 e V,respectively).The structures of donor units noticeably influence the energy levels and backbone curvature of the polymers.P(BT-C1)shows a large backbone curvature;its highest occupied molecular orbital(HOMO)energy level is 5.18 e V,whereas P(BT-C2)displays a pseudo-straight backbone and has a HOMO energy level of 5.37 e V.The hole mobilities of the polymers without thermal annealing are 1.9×10 3 and 2.7×10 3 cm2 V 1 s 1 for P(BT-C1)and P(BT-C2),respectively,as measured by organic thin-film transistors(OTFTs).Polymer solar cells using P(BT-C1)and P(BT-C2)as the donor and phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester(PC71BM)as the acceptor were fabricated.Power conversion efficiencies(PCEs)of 4.9%and 5.0%were achieved for P(BT-C1)and P(BT-C2),respectively.The devices based on P(BT-C2)exhibited a higher Voc due to the deeper HOMO level of the polymer,which led to a slightly higher PCE.     

Diketopyrrolopyrrole-based conjugated polymers as additives to optimize morphology for polymer solar cells

Novel random copolymers for optimizing the morphology of the active layer for high performance organic photovoltaic devices have been demonstrated. Three ternary random copolymers PTBDTDPPSi CN(3/7), PTBDTDPPSi CN(5/5), PTBDTDPPSi CN(7/3) were prepared by polymerization of electron-donating thienyl-substituted benzodithiophene(TBDT) with 2,5-bis[8-(1,1,3,3,5,5,5-heptamethyltrisiloxane-3-yl)octly]-pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-1,4-dione(DPPSi) and 2,5-dio[5-(5-cyano-5,5-dimethyl-pentyl)]-3,6-dithiophen-2-yl-pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-1,4-dione(DPPCN) of different ratios. The DPPCN block can well-tune the light absorption and molecular packing, while the DPPSi block is in favor of enhancing the charge mobility. And the formation of organic Si―O―Si networks is beneficial to stabilize the morphology of the active layer. These new copolymers have narrow bandgaps and broaden visible light absorption from 500 nm to 1000 nm. Careful balance of the contents of the trimethoxysilyl group and the cyano group can well-tune the surface energy and morphology of the copolymers. Incorporation of these novel copolymers as additives into the blend of poly(3-hexylthiophene)(P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl-C60-butyric acid methyl ester(PC_(61)BM) is found to effectively broaden the light absorption, improve the compatibility and morphology of the active layer. As a result, some devices with certain ratios of these copolymers as additives achieve the enhanced efficiency compared with the device based on pristine P3HT:PC_(61)BM.     

Silole‐containing polymers for high‐efficiency polymer solar cells

Silole‐containing conjugated polymers ( P1 and P2 ) carrying methyl and octyl substituents, respectively, on the silicon atom were synthesized by Suzuki polycondensation. They show strong absorption in the region of 300–700 nm with a band gap of about 1.9 eV. The two silole‐containing conjugated polymers were used to fabricate polymer solar cells by blending with PC₆₁BM and PC₇₁BM as the active layer. The best performance of photovoltaic devices based on P1 /PC₇₁BM active layer exhibited power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 2.72%, whereas that of the photovoltaic cells fabricated with P2 /PC₇₁BM exhibited PCE of 5.08%. 1,8‐Diiodooctane was used as an additive to adjust the morphology of the active layer during the device optimization. PCE of devices based on P2 /PC₇₁BM was further improved to 6.05% when a TiO_x layer was used as a hole‐blocking layer. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Thienopyrazine or dithiadiazatrindene containing low band gap conjugated polymers for polymer solar cells

Four new low-band-gap alternating copolymers （P-1, P-2, P-3 and P-4） based on electron-rich benzodithiophene and newly developed electron-deficient units, thienopyrazine or dithiadiazatrindene derivatives, were synthesized by Stille polycondensation. All polymers exhibit good solubility in common organic solvents and a broad absorption band in the visible to near-infrared regions. The film optical band gaps of the polymers are in the range of 1.28-2.07 eV and the highest occupied molecular orbital （HOMO） energy levels are in the range of-4.99 eV to -5.28 eV. Bulk heterojunction polymer solar cells （PSCs） of the polymers were fabricated with phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester （PC61BM） as acceptor material, and a power conversion efficiency of 0.80% was realized with P-1 as donor material.     

Self-doped n-type water/alcohol-soluble conjugated polymers ETL for high-performance polymer and perovskite solar cells

正Electron transporting layer(ETL)materials have attracted much attention in recent years in the research fields of organic/polymer solar cells(OSCs/PSCs)and planar perovskite solar cells(pero-SCs),because ETL materials play very important role in improving the photovoltaic performance of devices.Among the ETL materials reported in literatures,conjugated polymer poly[(9,9-bis(3'-(N,N-dimethylamino)propyl)-2,7-fluorene)-alt-2,7-(9,9-dioctylfluorene)](PFN)show good film-forming property and excellent device performance for the small area PSCs.But the ETL of PFN     

Conjugated polymers with broad absorption: Synthesis and application in polymer solar cells

A series of main chain donor‐acceptor low‐bandgap conjugated polymers were designed, synthesized, and used for the fabrication of polymer solar cells. The absorption spectra of low‐bandgap conjugated polymers were tuned by the ratio of three copolymerization monomers. The polymers in films exhibited broad absorption ranging from 300 to 1000 nm with optical bandgaps of around 1.40 eV. All of the polymers have been investigated as an electron donor in photovoltaic cells blending with PCBM ([6, 6]‐phenyl C61‐butyric acid methyl ester) as an electron acceptor and power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 1.32–1.8% have been obtained. As for P1 , PCE increases from 1.67 to 2.44% after adding 1,8‐diiodooctance as an additive. The higher PCEs are probably because of better phase separation of blend films. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 2571–2578, 2010     

Sticky interconnect for solution-processed tandem solar cells

Graphene oxide (GO) can be viewed as a two-dimensional, random diblock copolymer with distributed nanosize graphitic patches and highly oxidized domains, thus capable of guiding the assembly of other materials through both π-π stacking and hydrogen bonding. Upon mixing GO and conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) in water, a dispersion with dramatically increased viscosity is obtained, which turns into sticky thin films upon casting. Surprisingly, the insulating GO makes PEDOT much more conductive by altering its chain conformation and morphology. The GO/PEDOT gel can function as a metal-free solder for creating mechanical and electrical connections in organic optoelectronic devices. As a proof-of-concept, polymer tandem solar cells have been fabricated by a direct adhesive lamination process enabled by the sticky GO/PEDOT film. The sticky interconnect can greatly simplify the fabrication of organic tandem architectures, which has been quite challenging via solution processing. Thus, it could facilitate the construction of high-efficiency tandem solar cells with different combinations of solution-processable materials.     

Efficiency breakthrough for all-perovskite tandem solar cells

正The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of single-junction perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has rapidly boosted to 25.2%[1], approaching the Shockley-Queisser limit. A potential strategy to further elevate the PCE of single-junction PSCs is to fabricate all-perovskite tandem solar cells [2,3], which is composed of a wide-bandgap (1.7–1.9 eV) top sub-cell and a low-bandgap (0.9–1.2 eV) bottom sub-cell. All-perovskite tandem solar cells have the potential to achieve PCE     

A chlorinated low-bandgap small-molecule acceptor for organic solar cells with 14.1% efficiency and low energy loss

A new acceptor-donor-acceptor(A-D-A) type small-molecule acceptor NCBDT-4 Cl using chlorinated end groups is reported.This new-designed molecule demonstrates wide and efficient absorption ability in the range of 600–900 nm with a narrow optical bandgap of 1.40 eV. The device based on PBDB-T-SF:NCBDT-4 Cl shows a power conversion efficiency(PCE) of 13.1%without any post-treatment, which represents the best result for all as-cast organic solar cells(OSCs) to date. After device optimizations, the PCE was further enhanced to over 14% with a high short-circuit current density(Jsc) of 22.35 m A cm-2 and a fill-factor(FF) of 74.3%. The improved performance was attributed to the more efficient photo-electron conversion process in the optimal device. To our knowledge, this outstanding efficiency of 14.1% with an energy loss as low as 0.55 eV is among the best results for all single-junction OSCs.     

Graphene-based materials for polymer solar cells

Due to the remarkable electronic, optical, thermal, and mechanical properties, graphene-based materials have shown great potential in a wide range of technique applications. Particularly, the high transparency, conductivity, flexibility, and abundance make graphene materials highly attractive for polymer solar cells (PSCs). Graphene-based materials have been regarded as one promising candidate used in various parts in PSCs not only as electrodes, but also as interfacial layers and active layers with an aim to boost the power conversion efficiency of the devices. In this review, we summarize the recent progress about the design and synthesis of graphene-based materials for efficient PSCs along with the related challenges and future perspectives.     

Furan-containing conjugated polymers for organic solar cells

Development of organic semiconductors is one of the most intriguing and productive topics in material science and engineering. Many efforts have been made on the synthesis of aromatic building blocks such as benzene, thiophene and pyrrole due to the facile preparation accompanied by the intrinsic environmental stability and relatively efficient properties of the resulting polymers. In the past, furan has been less explored in this field because of its high oxidation potential. Recently, furan has attracted obsession due to its weaker aromaticity, the greater solubilities of furan-containing π-conjugated polymers relative to other benzenoid systems and the accessibility of furan-based starting materials from renewable resources. This review elaborates the advancements of organic photovoltaic polymers containing furan building blocks. The uniqueness and advantages of furan-containing building blocks in semiconducting materials are also discussed.     

Nb2O5 as a new electron transport layer for double junction polymer solar cells

Nb(2)O(5) as a new electron transport layer (ETL) was used for double junction polymer solar cells. The Nb(2)O(5) ETL was prepared by spin coating a Nb(2)O(5) sol-gel solution onto the active layer of the optical front subcell. The double junction devices using Nb(2)O(5) ETL exhibit an open circuit voltage (V(oc)) of 1.30 V, which is close to the sum of the s of the individual subcells. The current density-voltage (J-V) simulation showed that the double junction device performance using Nb(2)O(5) as ETL could be significantly increased by reducing the series resistance (R(se)) and matching the current densities of the individual subcells.     

High-performance fullerene-free polymer solar cells with solution-processed conjugated polymers as anode interfacial layer

A series of conjugated polymers based on PFS derivatives with π-conjugated 5-(9H-fluoren-2-yl)-2,2′-bithiophene(fluorene-alt-bithiophene) backbones, namely PFS-3C, PFS-4C and PFS-6C, were synthesized for their use as the anode interfacial layers(AILs) in the efficient fullerene-free polymer solar cells(PSCs). Alkyl sulfonate pendants with different lengths of alkyl side chains were introduced in the three polymers in order to investigate the effect of the alkyl chain length on the anode modification. The obtained three polymers exhibited similar absorption bands and energy levels, indicating that changing the length of the alkyl side chains did not affect the optoelectronic properties of the conjugated polymers. Based on the PBDB-T:ITIC active layer, we fabricated the fullerene-free PSCs using the three polymers as the AILs. The superior performance of the fullerene-free PSC device was achieved when PFS-4C was used as the AIL, showing a power conversion efficiency(PCE) of 10.54%. The high performance of the PFS-4C-modified device could be ascribed to the high transmittance, suitable work-function(WF) and smooth surface of PFS-4C. To the best of our knowledge, the PCE obtained in the PFS-4C-modified device is among the highest PCE values in the fullerene-free PSCs at present. These results demonstrate that the PFS derivatives are promising candidates in serving as the AIL materials for high-performance fullerene-free PSCs.     

Silafluorene‐based polymers for electrochromic and polymer solar cell applications

In this study, four novel silafluorene (SiF) and benzotriazole (Btz) bearing conjugated polymers are synthesized. In the context of electrochemical and optical studies, these polymers are promising materials both for electrochromic device (ECD) and polymer solar cell (PSC) applications. All of the polymers are ambipolar (both p‐ and n‐dopable) and multichromic. Electrochemistry experiments indicate that incorporation of selenophene instead of thiophene unit increases the HOMO energy level of the polymers. Power conversion efficiency of the PSCs reached 1.75% for PTBTSiF, 1.55% for PSBSSiF, 2.57% for PBTBTSiF, and 1.82% for PBSBSSiF. The hole mobilities of the polymers are estimated through space charge limited current (SCLC) model. PBTBTSiF has the highest hole mobility as 2.44 × 10^?3 cm² V s^?1. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 1541–1547     

Planar copolymers for high-efficiency polymer solar cells

<正>Triggered by the energy crisis and the demand on the clean energy sources in the future, organic solar cells especially conjugated polymer based polymer solar cells (PSCs) arise interests from both industrial and academic sides, due to their unique advantages, including mechanical flexibility, light weight, semi-transparence, solution processability and low fabrication cost. In the early stage, poly(3-hexylthiophene)(P3HT) has been widely studied and proven to be one of the     

聚合物太阳能电池材料研究进展

本文介绍了几种常见的聚合物太阳电池材料。综述了聚合物太阳电池材料的合成、发展历史和现状,对其应用前景进行了展望。参考文献59篇。     

Synthesis and characterization of thiazolothiazole‐based polymers and their applications in polymer solar cells

A novel series of thiazolothiazole (Tz)‐based copolymers, poly[9,9‐didecylfluorene‐2,7‐diyl‐alt‐2,5‐bis‐(3‐hexylthiophene‐2‐yl)thiazolo[5,4‐d]thiazole] (P1), poly[9,9‐dioctyldibenzosilole‐2,7‐diyl‐alt‐2,5‐bis‐(3‐hexylthiophene‐2‐yl)thiazolo[5,4‐d]thiazole] (P2), and poly[4,4′‐bis(2‐ethylhexyl)‐dithieno[3,2‐b:2′,3′‐d]silole‐alt‐2,5‐bis‐(3‐hexylthiophene‐2‐yl)thiazolo[5,4‐d]thiazole] (P3), were synthesized for the use as donor materials in polymer solar cells (PSCs). The field‐effect carrier mobilities and the optical, electrochemical, and photovoltaic properties of the copolymers were investigated. The results suggest that the donor units in the copolymers significantly influenced the band gap, electronic energy levels, carrier mobilities, and photovoltaic properties of the copolymers. The band gaps of the copolymers were in the range of 1.80–2.14 eV. Under optimized conditions, the Tz‐based polymers showed power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) for the PSCs in the range of 2.23–2.75% under AM 1.5 illumination (100 mW/cm²). Among the three copolymers, P1, which contained a fluorene donor unit, showed a PCE of 2.75% with a short‐circuit current of 8.12 mA/cm², open circuit voltage of 0.86 V, and a fill factor (FF) of 0.39, under AM 1.5 illumination (100 mW/cm²). © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

An easily accessible isoindigo-based polymer for high-performance polymer solar cells

A new, low-band-gap alternating copolymer consisting of terthiophene and isoindigo has been designed and synthesized. Solar cells based on this polymer and PC(71)BM show a power conversion efficiency of 6.3%, which is a record for polymer solar cells based on a polymer with an optical band gap below 1.5 eV. This work demonstrates the great potential of isoindigo moieties as electron-deficient units for building donor-acceptor-type polymers for high-performance polymer solar cells.