journal article·2026-06

Crystallization Kinetics Directed by Additive Symmetry for Morphology Control in High‐Efficiency Organic Solar Cells

Keteng Zhu, Panpan Zhang, Zhigang Xu, Yuchuan Tian, Junyu Li, Ziwen Xu, Xiaoguang Bao, Jinyuan Zhang, Chaohua Cui, Haijun Bin, Yongfang Li

Small· Volume 22· Issue 34
Publisher page

Abstract

ABSTRACT The nanoscale morphology of the active layer critically governs the performance of organic solar cells (OSCs), where the molecular packing and phase organization of small‐molecule acceptors play a decisive role. Although solvent additives are widely used to regulate morphology, their volatility often compromises reproducibility and long‐term stability. Here, we systematically investigate four positional isomers of dibromonaphthalene (DBN): 1,8‐, 1,5‐, 2,7‐, and 2,6‐DBN, as solid‐state additives in PM6:Y6‐based OSCs. Despite identical chemical compositions, the DBN isomers exhibit distinct molecular symmetry and crystallization kinetics, leading to fundamentally different impacts on acceptor aggregation and phase organization. Among them, 2,6‐DBN, featuring a highly symmetric configuration and moderate supercooling, enables balanced crystallization kinetics during thermal annealing. This kinetically accessible ordering promotes compact π–π stacking, favorable vertical phase distribution, and reduced energetic disorder in the active layer. Consequently, charge carrier mobility is enhanced, non‐radiative recombination losses are suppressed, and balanced charge transport is achieved, yielding a champion power conversion efficiency of 19.65% in PM6:Y6 devices. These results highlight crystallization kinetics, rather than additive crystallinity alone, as a key determinant for morphology control, providing a generalizable strategy for rational solid additive design in high‐performance OSCs.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Organic Electronics and Photovoltaics · Perovskite Materials and Applications · TiO2 Photocatalysis and Solar Cells

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

Affiliations

Laboratory of Advanced Optoelectronic Materials Suzhou Key Laboratory of Novel Semiconductor Materials and Devices College of Chemistry Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Soochow University Suzhou Jiangsu P.R. China

Sinopec Shanghai Research Institute of Petrochemical Technology Shanghai P.R. China

Beijing National Laboratory For Molecular Sciences CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing P.R. China

Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Negative Carbon Technologies Soochow University Suzhou Jiangsu P.R. China

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China

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