Achieving over 10 % Efficiency in Poly(3-hexylthiophene)-Based Organic Solar Cells via Solid Additives

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Organic Electronics
• Photovoltaics

Background:

• Organic solar cells (OSCs) based on poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) have seen performance improvements.
• Novel non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) are key to advancing P3HT-based OSCs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance the performance of P3HT:ZY-4Cl based OSCs.
• To investigate the effect of a solid additive (SA4) versus a solvent additive (DIO) on OSC morphology and efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Processing P3HT:ZY-4Cl based OSCs using a solid additive (SA4).
• Processing P3HT:ZY-4Cl based OSCs using a typical solvent additive (1,8-diiodooctane, DIO).
• Characterization of molecular packing, phase separation, charge transport, and carrier recombination.

Main Results:

• The SA4-processed device showed more ordered molecular packing and favorable phase separation compared to the DIO-processed device.
• Enhanced charge transport and reduced carrier recombination were observed in the SA4-processed device.
• The SA4-processed device achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.24%, significantly higher than the DIO-processed device (6.26%).

Conclusions:

• Solid additive processing (SA4) offers a promising route for morphological modulation in P3HT-based OSCs.
• This study reports a PCE exceeding 10% for P3HT-based OSCs for the first time.
• Morphological control through additives is crucial for developing high-performance P3HT-based organic solar cells.