Issue 28, 2018

Effect of a methyl thiophene-3-carboxylate bridge in an indacenodithiophene-based acceptor–donor–acceptor-type molecule on the performance of non-fullerene polymer solar cells

Abstract

A new A-b-D-b-A-type n-type small molecule, IDT-3MT, was synthesized bearing a weak acceptor thiophene-3-carboxylate bridge (3MT = b) between indacenodithiophene as a donating core and 2-(3-oxo-2,3-dihydroinden-1-ylidene)-malononitrile as the accepting end groups. Compared to IDT-T bearing a neat thiophene bridge, IDT-3MT displayed a red-shifted absorption spectrum in the film state, which is a more effective complementary absorption behavior with PBDB-T as the donor material. The highest occupied molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital levels of IDT-3MT became correspondingly lower. Based on the results of grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering, the blend film of PBDB-T:IDT-3MT exhibited a more prominent face-on orientation and fine surface morphology compared with PBDB-T:IDT-T, which can facilitate charge transportation in the vertical direction. Among the two acceptors, the polymer solar cell based on a solvent additive-free as-cast PBDB-T:IDT-3MT blend film exhibited the highest power conversion efficiency of 8.40% with a high open-circuit voltage of 0.95 V and a short-circuit current density of 14.43 mA cm−2 due to the more prominent face-on orientation and favorable morphology of the blend film. According to the simple structural modification of the acceptor molecule, the ester group in the thiophene bridge played an important role toward achieving high-performance polymer solar cells.

Graphical abstract: Effect of a methyl thiophene-3-carboxylate bridge in an indacenodithiophene-based acceptor–donor–acceptor-type molecule on the performance of non-fullerene polymer solar cells

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
31 ožu 2018
Accepted
20 lip 2018
First published
22 lip 2018

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2018,6, 7549-7556

Effect of a methyl thiophene-3-carboxylate bridge in an indacenodithiophene-based acceptor–donor–acceptor-type molecule on the performance of non-fullerene polymer solar cells

S. H. Park, G. E. Park, S. Choi, Y. U. Kim, S. Y. Park, C. G. Park, M. J. Cho and D. H. Choi, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2018, 6, 7549 DOI: 10.1039/C8TC01508B

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements