journal article·2024

The anti-correlation effect of alkyl chain size on the photovoltaic performance of centrally extended non-fullerene acceptors

Tainan Duan, Jia Wang, Xiaochan Zuo, Xingqi Bi, Cheng Zhong, Yulu Li, Yuhong Long, Kaihuai Tu, Weichao Zhang, Ke Yang, Huiqiong Zhou, Xiangjian Wan, Yan Zhao, Bin Kan, Yongsheng Chen

Materials Horizons· Volume 11· Issue 18
Publisher page

Abstract

Contrary to previous results, a unique anti-correlation effect of the alkyl chain size on the photovoltaic performance of acceptors was observed. For a centrally-extended acceptor, replacing linear alkyl chains (n-undecyl for CH-BBQ) on the thienothiophene unit with branched ones (2-butyloctyl for CH-BO) leads to a plunge in the power conversion efficiency of organic solar cells (18.12% vs. 11.34% for binary devices), while the largely shortened ones (n-heptyl for CH-HP) bring a surge in performance (18.74%/19.44% for binary/ternary devices). Compared with CH-BO, the more compact intermolecular packing of CH-HP facilitates carrier transport. The characterization of organic field effect transistors and carrier dynamics also echoes the above results. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the encounter of the branched alkyl chains and the extended central core hinders the effective interfacial interaction of polymer donors and acceptors, thus deteriorating the device performance. This work suggests that the conventional strategy for alkyl chain engineering of Y-series acceptors might need to be reconsidered in other molecular systems.
Source: europepmc · Quality: candidate unverified · Source record ↗

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Organic Electronics and Photovoltaics

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

Affiliations

School of Materials Science and Engineering, National Institute for Advanced Materials, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China

Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chongqing School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS Chongqing), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China

Laboratory of Molecular Materials and Devices, Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China

State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, The Centre of Nanoscale Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China

Hubei Key Laboratory on Organic and Polymeric Opto-electronic Materials, College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China

CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, P. R. China

Funding

Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing Municipality · National Natural Science Foundation of China · Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China · Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences · Higher Education Discipline Innovation Project · Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin Municipality

References (53)

Show source-provided references
1. Zhang · Nat. Commun. · 2023 · 14 · 631210.1038/s41467-023-42018-7 ↗
2. Xia · Energy Environ. Sci. · 2023 · 16 · 607810.1039/D3EE02984K ↗
3. Xu · Energy Environ. Sci. · 2023 · 16 · 586310.1039/D3EE02700G ↗
4. Cai · Nat. Commun. · 2022 · 13 · 236910.1038/s41467-022-29803-6 ↗
5. Lin · Adv. Mater. · 2015 · 27 · 117010.1002/adma.201404317 ↗
6. Yuan · Joule · 2019 · 3 · 114010.1016/j.joule.2019.01.004 ↗
7. Zeng · Nat. Commun. · 2023 · 14 · 414810.1038/s41467-023-39832-4 ↗
8. Luo · Nat. Commun. · 2023 · 14 · 696410.1038/s41467-023-41978-0 ↗
9. Zhu · Nat. Mater. · 2022 · 21 · 65610.1038/s41563-022-01244-y ↗
10. Jiang · Nat. Energy · 2022 · 7 · 107610.1038/s41560-022-01138-y ↗
11. Meng · Sci. China Chem. · 2023 · 66 · 808
12. Wu · Adv. Mater. · 2023 · 35 · 230294610.1002/adma.202302946 ↗
13. Lai · Energy Environ. Sci. · 2023 · 16 · 594410.1039/D3EE01690K ↗
14. Zhao · Adv. Energy Mater. · 2018 · 8 · 170314710.1002/aenm.201703147 ↗
15. Han · Adv. Energy Mater. · 2018 · 8 · 170274310.1002/aenm.201702743 ↗
16. Shi · Nat. Commun. · 2022 · 13 · 325610.1038/s41467-022-30927-y ↗
17. Ye · Nat. Commun. · 2020 · 11 · 600510.1038/s41467-020-19853-z ↗
18. Wei · Aggregate · 2024 · e48810.1002/agt2.488 ↗
19. Chen · Sci. China Chem. · 2022 · 65 · 136210.1007/s11426-022-1264-y ↗
20. Zou · Energy Environ. Sci. · 2022 · 15 · 351910.1039/D2EE01340A ↗
21. Zhong · Adv. Energy Mater. · 2023 · 13 · 230227310.1002/aenm.202302273 ↗
22. Zhou · Adv. Funct. Mater. · 2022 · 32 · 220604210.1002/adfm.202206042 ↗
23. Luo · Energy Environ. Sci. · 2023 · 16 · 273210.1039/D3EE00908D ↗
24. Shi · Sol. RRL · 2023 · 7 · 230020610.1002/solr.202300206 ↗
25. Xiao · Adv. Sci. · 2023 · 10 · 220658010.1002/advs.202206580 ↗
26. Guo · Sci. China Chem. · 2023 · 66 · 50010.1007/s11426-022-1451-2 ↗
27. Li · Sci. China Chem. · 2021 · 64 · 143510.1007/s11426-021-1034-4 ↗
28. Song · Matter · 2021 · 4 · 254210.1016/j.matt.2021.06.010 ↗
29. Zhong · Trends Chem. · 2022 · 4 · 69910.1016/j.trechm.2022.05.004 ↗
30. Chen · Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. · 2022 · 61 · e20220958010.1002/anie.202209580 ↗
31. Liang · Nat. Commun. · 2023 · 14 · 470710.1038/s41467-023-40423-6 ↗
32. Chen · Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. · 2023 · 62 · e20230796210.1002/anie.202307962 ↗
33. Yao · Acc. Mater. Res. · 2023 · 4 · 77210.1021/accountsmr.3c00093 ↗
34. Chen · Energy Environ. Sci. · 2023 · 16 · 177310.1039/D2EE03902H ↗
35. Liu · Adv. Mater. · 2023 · 35 · 230036310.1002/adma.202300363 ↗
36. Yao · Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. · 2023 · 62 · e20231263010.1002/anie.202312630 ↗
37. Jiang · Nat. Commun. · 2023 · 14 · 507910.1038/s41467-023-40806-9 ↗
38. Liu · Adv. Mater. · 2021 · 33 · 210083010.1002/adma.202100830 ↗
39. Duan · Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. · 2023 · 62 · e20230883210.1002/anie.202308832 ↗
40. Cui · Adv. Mater. · 2020 · 32 · 190820510.1002/adma.201908205 ↗
41. Chen · Joule · 2019 · 3 · 303410.1016/j.joule.2019.09.009 ↗
42. Kim · Phys. Rev. Lett. · 2012 · 109 · 10640510.1103/PhysRevLett.109.106405 ↗
43. Wu · Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. · 2023 · 62 · e20230769510.1002/anie.202307695 ↗
44. Chen · Adv. Funct. Mater. · 2023 · 33 · 230431610.1002/adfm.202304316 ↗
45. Zhang · Adv. Mater. · 2023 · 35 · 230009410.1002/adma.202300094 ↗
46. Duan · J. Mater. Chem. C · 2021 · 9 · 1362510.1039/D1TC03688B ↗
47. Li · ACS Energy Lett. · 2023 · 8 · 248810.1021/acsenergylett.3c00743 ↗
48. Li · Nat. Energy · 2021 · 6 · 60510.1038/s41560-021-00820-x ↗
49. Wang · Adv. Energy Mater. · 2018 · 8 · 180135210.1002/aenm.201801352 ↗
50. Feng · Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. · 2024 · 63 · e20231669810.1002/anie.202316698 ↗
51. Zhang · Adv. Funct. Mater. · 2023 · 33 · 230110810.1002/adfm.202301108 ↗
52. Liu · Joule · 2024 · 8 · 83510.1016/j.joule.2024.01.005 ↗
53. Liu · Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. · 2024 · 63 · e20231603910.1002/anie.202316039 ↗