Scalable Non-Halogenated Co-solvent System for Large-Area, Four-Layer Slot-Die-Coated Organic Photovoltaics

Sustainable processing solvents, photoactive materials, and scalable manufacturing will play a key role in commercializing printed organic photovoltaics (OPVs). The record-breaking pioneering OPV reports have done an outstanding job in accelerating the discovery of champion photoactive materials and device engineering practices; however, these works predominantly involve health-hazardous halogenated processing solvents/additives and non-scalable thin-film coating methods. Herein, large-area slot-die-manufactured OPV cells from eco-friendly halogen-free solvents and synthetically scalable materials are showcased. All the four layers; electron transport layer (SnO₂), cathode interlayer (PDIN-H), bulk-heterojunction (BHJ, PTQ-10:BTP-4F-12), and hole transport layer [poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS] are slot-die-coated in air. A non-halogenated co-solvent mixture of toluene and 2-methyl tetrahydrofuran is presented as an optimal processing solvent to realize the high-quality thin films of PTQ10:BTP-4F-12. The unencapsulated champion solar cells characterized in ambient conditions (RH = 30%, T = 22 °C) exhibit power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 12.1 and 17.8% under 1 Sun (100 mW/cm²) and indoor light-emitting diode lighting (580 μW/cm²) conditions, respectively. Additionally, PEDOT:PSS is successfully slot-die-coated atop BHJ by mitigating wettability challenges with the aid of surface treatment. The all four-layer slot-die-coated OPVs exhibit a PCE of 9.55%.