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Single-Junction Organic Photovoltaic Cells with Approaching 18% Efficiency
Yong Cui1,2, Huifeng Yao1, Jianqi Zhang3
1State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|April 1, 2020
Summary
Optimizing organic photovoltaic (OPV) materials by fine-tuning alkyl chains in nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs) significantly boosts power conversion efficiencies (PCEs). Shortening alkyl chains in BTP-4Cl-BO to create BTP-eC9 enhanced solubility and electron transport, achieving a 17.8% PCE.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Organic Electronics
- Photovoltaics
Background:
- Optimizing molecular structures is key to enhancing organic photovoltaic (OPV) power conversion efficiencies (PCEs).
- Fine-tuning alkyl chains on conjugated skeletons is crucial for maximizing photovoltaic potential.
- Chlorinated nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs), like Y6 derivatives, are promising materials for OPVs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To optimize the molecular structure of the chlorinated nonfullerene acceptor BTP-4Cl-BO by modifying its alkyl chains.
- To investigate the impact of shortened alkyl chains on intermolecular packing, solubility, and electron transport properties.
- To improve the photovoltaic performance of single-junction OPV cells.
Main Methods:
- Synthesized novel NFAs, BTP-eC9 and BTP-eC7, by shortening the n-undecyl chains of BTP-eC11 to n-nonyl and n-heptyl, respectively.
- Evaluated the solubility and electron transport properties of the synthesized NFAs.
- Fabricated and tested single-junction OPV cells using the optimized NFAs.
Main Results:
- BTP-eC7 exhibited poor solubility, limiting its device applicability.
- BTP-eC9 demonstrated improved solubility and enhanced electron transport compared to BTP-eC11.
- BTP-eC9-based OPV cells achieved a maximum PCE of 17.8% with a certified value of 17.3%, attributed to enhanced short-circuit current density and fill factor.
Conclusions:
- Minimizing alkyl chain length to achieve optimal solubility and enhanced intermolecular packing is a viable strategy for improving OPV performance.
- The BTP-eC9 NFA represents a significant advancement in OPV material design.
- Further research into alkyl chain optimization holds great potential for future OPV development.
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