An Alternating Copolymer Derived from Indolo[3,2‐b]carbazole and 4,7‐Di(thieno[3,2‐b]thien‐2‐yl)‐2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole for Photovoltaic Cells

An alternating narrow bandgap conjugated copolymer (PICZ‐DTBT, E_g = 1.83 eV) derived from 5,11‐di(9‐heptadecanyl)indolo[3,2‐b]carbazole and 4,7‐di(thieno[3,2‐b]thien‐2‐yl)‐2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole (DTBT), was prepared by the palladium‐catalyzed Suzuki coupling reaction. The resultant polymer absorbs light from 350–690 nm, exhibits two absorbance peaks at around 420 and 570 nm and has good solution processibility and thermal stability. The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy level and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) level of the copolymer determined by cyclic voltammetry were about −5.18 and −3.35 eV, respectively. Prototype bulk heterojunction photovoltaic cells from solid‐state composite films based on PICZ‐DTBT and [6,6]‐phenyl‐C₇₁ butyric acid methyl ester (PC₇₁BM), show power conversion efficiencies up to 2.4% under 80 mW · cm⁻² illumination (AM1.5) with an open‐circuit voltage of V_oc = 0.75 V, a short current density of J_sc = 6.02 mA · cm⁻², and a fill factor of 42%. This indicates that the copolymer PICZ‐DTBT is a viable electron donor material for polymeric solar cells.