journal article·2022-03-08

Branched Alkoxy Side Chain Enables High-Performance Non-Fullerene Acceptors with High Open-Circuit Voltage and Highly Ordered Molecular Packing

Jiaen Liang, Mingao Pan, Zhen Wang, Jianquan Zhang, Fujin Bai, Ruijie Ma, Lu Ding, Yuzhong Chen, Xiaojun Li, Harald Ade, He Yan

Chemistry of Materials· Volume 34· Issue 5
Publisher page

Abstract

The linear alkyl chains on the β-position of the thieno[3,2-b]thiophene units of Y6 play a critical role in determining the molecular properties of non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) and device performance of the corresponding organic solar cells (OSCs). This linear chain can be substituted with either alkoxy or branched alkyl side chains, which are two common strategies to modify the property of Y6-type molecules. In this paper, we use a combination of these two strategies by using branched alkoxy side chains to modify Y6 and develop a new NFA named Y6-O2BO. Interestingly, this branched alkoxy substitution introduces different effects from previously used branched alkyl or linear alkoxy modifications. More ordered molecular packing and enhanced crystallinity are observed for Y6-O2BO-based blend films, which should be beneficial for charge carrier transportation. The Y6-O2BO-based device exhibits a much enhanced open-circuit voltage (VOC) compared to those based on linear alkoxy or branched alkyl chain substituted molecules. By using a mixture of Y6 and Y6-O2BO, the VOC of ternary devices can be linearly tuned between 0.84 and 0.96 V based on the ratio of these two acceptors. As a result, the optimal OSC yields an improved VOC of 0.88 V and a high FF of 0.79, leading to a maximum efficiency of 17.5%. This reveals the effectiveness of branched alkoxy chains in elevating VOC and further optimizing the performance of OSCs.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Organic Electronics and Photovoltaics · Conducting polymers and applications · Molecular Junctions and Nanostructures

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Department of Chemistry and Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration & Reconstruction, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, ChinaHong Kong

Department of Physics and Organic and Carbon Electronics Laboratories (ORaCEL), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Fok Ying Tung Research Institute, Guangzhou 511458, China

Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology-Shenzhen Research Institute, No. 9, Yuexing 1st RD, Hi-tech Park, Nanshan, Shenzhen 518057, China

Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology (SCUT), Guangzhou 510640, China

Funding

Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee · Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China · Science, Technology and Innovation Commission of Shenzhen Municipality · Innovation and Technology Commission · National Natural Science Foundation of China · Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory of Optoelectronic and Magnetic Functional Materials · Guangdong Province

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