Dithienopyrrole-based oligothiophenes for solution-processed organic solar cells.
Martin Weidelener1, Cordula D Wessendorf, Jonas Hanisch
1Institute of Organic Chemistry II and Advanced Materials, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany. peter.baeuerle@uni-ulm.de.
Chemical Communications (Cambridge, England)
|October 16, 2013
Summary
New oligothiophene materials with a central dithienopyrrole unit were created for organic solar cells. These materials achieved a record 4.8% power conversion efficiency for dithienopyrrole-based oligomers.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Organic Electronics
- Photovoltaics
Background:
- Organic solar cells offer a promising alternative to traditional silicon-based photovoltaics due to their potential for low-cost manufacturing and flexibility.
- Small molecule organic solar cells (SMOSCs) are a key area of research within organic photovoltaics, requiring efficient and stable active layer materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize novel isomeric dicyanovinylene-terminated oligothiophenes incorporating a central dithienopyrrole (DTP) unit.
- To evaluate the performance of these newly developed materials in solution-processed small molecule organic solar cells (SMOSCs).
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of two isomeric dicyanovinylene-terminated oligothiophenes with a central DTP core.
- Fabrication and testing of SMOSCs using the synthesized oligothiophenes as the active layer.
- Performance characterization including power conversion efficiency (PCE) measurements.
Main Results:
- The developed DTP-based oligomeric materials demonstrated high performance in SMOSCs.
- The highest power conversion efficiency achieved was 4.8%, setting a new record for DTP-based oligomeric materials.
- The isomeric structures were successfully synthesized and incorporated into functional solar cells.
Conclusions:
- Isomeric dicyanovinylene-terminated oligothiophenes based on a central DTP unit are effective materials for high-performance SMOSCs.
- The achieved 4.8% PCE highlights the potential of these materials for advancing organic solar cell technology.
- Further research into DTP-based oligomers could lead to even more efficient and stable organic photovoltaic devices.
