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B─N Covalent Bond-Based Nonfullerene Electron Acceptors for Efficient Organic Solar Cells
Zhengwei Hu1, Juxuan Xie1, Jiangkai Yu1
1Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P. R. China.
Novel nonfullerene electron acceptors (NFEAs) with B─N bonds enhance organic solar cell (OSC) performance. BN1014 achieved 10.02% efficiency in binary cells and 17.65% in ternary cells, showing promise for efficient OSCs.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Organic Electronics
- Photovoltaics
Background:
- Nonfullerene electron acceptors (NFEAs) are crucial for organic solar cell (OSC) performance.
- The central core unit's structure significantly impacts optoelectronic properties and photovoltaic efficiency.
- Rational design of NFEAs is key to advancing OSC technology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce novel acceptor-donor-acceptor (A-D-A) type NFEAs based on a six-membered fused electron-donating core with B─N covalent bonds.
- To investigate the effect of alkyl chain modulation on NFEA properties and OSC performance.
- To explore the potential of these new NFEAs in both binary and ternary OSC configurations.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis and characterization of two NFEAs, BN910 and BN1014, with varying alkyl chains.
- Evaluation of their optoelectronic properties, including absorption, bandgap, and energy levels.
- Fabrication and performance testing of binary (D18:NFEA) and ternary (D18:DT-Y6:NFEA) organic solar cells.
Main Results:
- Both BN910 and BN1014 exhibited strong near-infrared absorption, narrow bandgaps (≈1.45 eV), and suitable energy levels.
- BN1014, with longer, branched alkyl chains, showed improved intermolecular packing and morphology.
- Binary OSCs with D18:BN1014 achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.02%.
- Ternary OSCs (D18:DT-Y6:BN1014) reached a PCE of 17.65%, surpassing the binary D18:DT-Y6 system (17.05%).
Conclusions:
- Heteroarenes with B─N covalent bonds are effective building blocks for high-performance NFEAs.
- Alkyl chain engineering on the core unit allows tuning of molecular packing and photovoltaic properties.
- The developed NFEAs, particularly BN1014, demonstrate significant potential for efficient organic solar cells.
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