journal article·2025-06

Advancing Organic Photovoltaics: the Role of Dipole Distance and Acidity in Perylene‐Diimide Electron Transport Layers

Wanqing Zhang, Xiaoman Ding, Jie Lv, Xiaokang Sun, Dingqin Hu, Guangye Zhang, Chuanlin Gao, Yizebang Xue, Yufei Zhong, Gang Li, Hanlin Hu

Advanced Functional Materials· Volume 35· Issue 26
Publisher page

Abstract

Abstract The electronic transport layer (ETL) based on perylene‐diimide (PDI) has been widely demonstrated for efficient organic solar cells (OSCs). However, the effect of ETL materials on interfacial traps and energy losses remains understudied. This study investigates the effects of dipole distance on PDINN interface defects using three specifically designed weak acidic materials with varying carboxyl and hydroxyl group amounts. Among these, 3,5‐dihydroxybenzoic acid (2OH), with moderate pH and high dipole distance, enhanced intermolecular forces with PDINN. This interaction boosted π–π stacking, enhanced ohmic contact with the active layer and Ag electrode. The P‐2OH film exhibited a higher and more uniform potential distribution, suppressing charge recombination at the interface, reducing the trap density to 2.12 × 1016 cm3, and reducing the non‐radiative loss ∆E3 from 0.236 to 0.174 eV. Consequently, the energy loss decreased from 0.553 to 0.484 meV for the PM6: BTP‐ec9/P‐2OH device. Notably, a decent PCE of 19.1% is achieved for P‐2OH (10 nm), and it impressively remains a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 16.4% when thickness of P‐2OH up to 50 nm. This work underscores the importance of hydroxyl and carboxyl groups in regulating the ETL to minimize energy loss and offers insights for developing thickness‐insensitive interlayers for high‐performance OSCs.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

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

School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Henan Institute of Science and Technology Xinxiang 453003 P. R. China

Hoffmann Institute of Advanced Materials Shenzhen Polytechnic University 7098 Liuxian Boulevard Shenzhen 518055 P. R. China

Department of Electronic and Information Engineering The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hung Hum Kowloon Hong Kong SAR 999077 P. R. China

School of Energy and Environment Department of Materials Science and Engineering City University of Hong Kong Kowloon Tong Hong Kong 999077 P. R. China

College of New Materials and New Energies Shenzhen Technology University Shenzhen 518118 P. R. China

Oxford Instruments Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. Shanghai P. R. China

Zhejiang engineering research center for fabrication and application of advanced photovoltaic materials School of Materials Science and Engineering NingboTech University No.1 Qianhu South Road Ningbo 315100 P. R. China

Zhejiang engineering research center for fabrication and application of advanced photovoltaic materials Institute for Carbon Neutrality Ningbo Innovation Centre Zhejiang University Ningbo 315048 P. R. China

Funding

Science, Technology and Innovation Commission of Shenzhen Municipality · China Postdoctoral Science Foundation

References (75)

Show source-provided references
1. 10.1039/D0EE04012F10.1039/D0EE04012F ↗
2. 10.1002/adma.20200116010.1002/adma.202001160 ↗
3. 10.1039/D2EE01848A10.1039/D2EE01848A ↗
4. 10.1039/D1EE00051A10.1039/D1EE00051A ↗
5. 10.1002/adfm.20230365310.1002/adfm.202303653 ↗
6. 10.1002/solr.20230033210.1002/solr.202300332 ↗
7. 10.1002/inf2.1255410.1002/inf2.12554 ↗
8. 10.1002/advs.20240131310.1002/advs.202401313 ↗
9. 10.1002/adfm.20241635610.1002/adfm.202416356 ↗
10. 10.1002/adma.20240751710.1002/adma.202407517 ↗
11. 10.1002/inf2.1237010.1002/inf2.12370 ↗
12. 10.1021/acsenergylett.2c0215310.1021/acsenergylett.2c02153 ↗
13. 10.1002/aenm.20170273010.1002/aenm.201702730 ↗
14. Yang Y. · Adv. Energy Mater. · 2023 · 13
15. 10.1039/b921624c10.1039/b921624c ↗
16. 10.1002/adma.20110457910.1002/adma.201104579 ↗
17. 10.1002/aenm.20140064310.1002/aenm.201400643 ↗
18. 10.1021/acsenergylett.1c0173010.1021/acsenergylett.1c01730 ↗
19. 10.1007/s11426-017-9057-110.1007/s11426-017-9057-1 ↗
20. 10.1039/C7CP03787B10.1039/C7CP03787B ↗
21. 10.1002/aenm.20170023210.1002/aenm.201700232 ↗
22. 10.1039/C6MH00434B10.1039/C6MH00434B ↗
23. 10.1021/acsami.2c2206910.1021/acsami.2c22069 ↗
24. 10.1039/c4ee00022f10.1039/c4ee00022f ↗
25. 10.1007/s11426-022-1300-110.1007/s11426-022-1300-1 ↗
26. 10.1038/s41467-020-16509-w10.1038/s41467-020-16509-w ↗
27. 10.1002/adma.20220369010.1002/adma.202203690 ↗
28. 10.1021/jacs.5b1266410.1021/jacs.5b12664 ↗
29. 10.1002/advs.20210557510.1002/advs.202105575 ↗
30. 10.1002/inf2.1228510.1002/inf2.12285 ↗
31. 10.1002/aenm.20240020310.1002/aenm.202400203 ↗
32. 10.1002/adfm.20200149410.1002/adfm.202001494 ↗
33. 10.1016/j.cej.2022.13816910.1016/j.cej.2022.138169 ↗
34. 10.1002/aenm.20240174110.1002/aenm.202401741 ↗
35. 10.1002/adma.20230158310.1002/adma.202301583 ↗
36. 10.1021/jacs.5b1111410.1021/jacs.5b11114 ↗
37. 10.1002/anie.20230493110.1002/anie.202304931 ↗
38. 10.1038/s41467-022-29702-w10.1038/s41467-022-29702-w ↗
39. 10.1002/smll.20231012510.1002/smll.202310125 ↗
40. 10.1039/D3TA03365A10.1039/D3TA03365A ↗
41. 10.1039/D2QM01106A10.1039/D2QM01106A ↗
42. 10.1021/jacs.0c0743910.1021/jacs.0c07439 ↗
43. 10.1126/science.125582610.1126/science.1255826 ↗
44. 10.1021/acsami.1c1339410.1021/acsami.1c13394 ↗
45. 10.1016/j.nantod.2021.10128910.1016/j.nantod.2021.101289 ↗
46. 10.1039/c2ee02806a10.1039/c2ee02806a ↗
47. 10.1002/adma.20130305910.1002/adma.201303059 ↗
48. 10.1021/ma402518d10.1021/ma402518d ↗
49. 10.1002/anie.20220511110.1002/anie.202205111 ↗
50. 10.1002/adma.20190386810.1002/adma.201903868 ↗
51. 10.1038/nphoton.2014.26910.1038/nphoton.2014.269 ↗
52. 10.1039/D1EE01193F10.1039/D1EE01193F ↗
53. 10.1002/aenm.20240028510.1002/aenm.202400285 ↗
54. 10.1038/s41467-019-08386-910.1038/s41467-019-08386-9 ↗
55. 10.1002/adma.20240283310.1002/adma.202402833 ↗
56. 10.1002/adfm.20221187310.1002/adfm.202211873 ↗
57. 10.1016/j.cej.2023.14393810.1016/j.cej.2023.143938 ↗
58. 10.1002/inf2.1253010.1002/inf2.12530 ↗
59. 10.1016/j.nanoen.2022.10741310.1016/j.nanoen.2022.107413 ↗
60. 10.1021/acsaem.2c0302310.1021/acsaem.2c03023 ↗
61. 10.1016/j.cej.2023.14282210.1016/j.cej.2023.142822 ↗
62. 10.1002/aenm.20230273110.1002/aenm.202302731 ↗
63. 10.1063/1.172848710.1063/1.1728487 ↗
64. 10.1038/s41563-019-0347-y10.1038/s41563-019-0347-y ↗
65. 10.1007/s11426-020-9926-x10.1007/s11426-020-9926-x ↗
66. 10.1016/j.joule.2017.09.02010.1016/j.joule.2017.09.020 ↗
67. 10.1103/PhysRevB.76.08530310.1103/PhysRevB.76.085303 ↗
68. 10.1038/s41467-022-30225-710.1038/s41467-022-30225-7 ↗
69. 10.1103/PhysRevB.81.12520410.1103/PhysRevB.81.125204 ↗
70. 10.1038/s41566-019-0573-510.1038/s41566-019-0573-5 ↗
71. 10.1021/jacs.0c0855710.1021/jacs.0c08557 ↗
72. 10.1021/acsenergylett.3c0117810.1021/acsenergylett.3c01178 ↗
73. 10.1103/PhysRevApplied.4.01402010.1103/PhysRevApplied.4.014020 ↗
74. 10.1002/aenm.20220130610.1002/aenm.202201306 ↗
75. 10.1016/j.ijadhadh.2008.09.00810.1016/j.ijadhadh.2008.09.008 ↗