Molecular engineering of benzothienoisoindigo copolymers allowing highly preferential face-on orientations

Abstract

Orientation of conjugated polymers is increasingly important in organic photovoltaics (OPV) to achieve high power conversion efficiency (PCE). The optimized orientation of conjugated backbones for photo-generated charge carriers in OPV devices is in contrast to organic semiconductor devices, demanding new strategies to control and realize face-on orientation of conjugated systems onto substrates. Here we report new conjugated polymers composed of electron-accepting benzothienoisoindigo (BTIDG), an asymmetric unit of isoindigo and thienoisoindigo. BTIDG was coupled with weakly electron-donating thiazolothiazole or benzobisthiazole, concurrently leading to moderate optical band gaps (1.41–1.52 eV) and the highest occupied molecular orbital (−5.35 to −5.50 eV). The alkylthiophene spacer between BTIDG and the donor unit provided a marked control over the orientation of polymers, among which the degree of face-on orientation as high as 95% was revealed by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction. The maximum PCE was improved up to 4.2% using the system with [6,6]-phenyl-C₇₁-butyric acid methyl ester (PC₇₁BM). We present a useful basis on the structure (orientation)–property (OPV output) relationship to lay down new guidelines for the design of efficient solar cell materials.