The synthesis, structure, and properties of 5,6,11,12-tetraarylindeno[1,2-b]fluorenes and their applications as donors for organic photovoltaic devices

The synthesis, structure, and properties of three new 5,6,11,12-tetraarylindeno[1,2-b]fluorenes are reported. The highly twisted conformations between an indeno[1,2-b]fluorene core and peripheral aryl substitutions endow these indeno[1,2-b]fluorene derivatives with good photostability for use as electron donors for vacuum-deposited photovoltaic devices. The optimized device based on a TAInF2 donor blended with C₇₀ as an electron acceptor produces a high open-circuit voltage (>0.9 V) and a power conversion efficiency of 2.91%. This work demonstrates the first application of an indenofluorene derivative as an electron donor in organic solar cells.