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Suppressed Degradation Process of PBDB-TF-T1:BTP-4F-12-Based Organic Solar Cells with Solid Additive Atums Green
Zerui Li1,2, Sergei Vagin3, Jinsheng Zhang1
1Department of Physics, Chair for Functional Materials, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, James-Franck-Str. 1, 85748 Garching, Germany.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|January 30, 2025
Summary
Adding Atums Green, a solid additive, significantly enhances organic solar cell stability. This green-fluorescent polymer prevents degradation by maintaining crystallinity and microstructure during operation, improving device performance.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Organic Electronics
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Organic solar cells (OSCs) offer a promising alternative to silicon-based photovoltaics.
- Liquid additives are commonly used in OSC fabrication, but solid additives present advantages.
- Understanding degradation mechanisms is crucial for improving OSC operational stability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of Atums Green as a solid additive in green-solvent-based PBDB-TF-T1:BTP-4F-12 solar cells.
- To elucidate the degradation pathways of OSCs without additives.
- To demonstrate the stabilizing effect of Atums Green doping on OSC performance and longevity.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of PBDB-TF-T1:BTP-4F-12 solar cells with and without Atums Green additive.
- Operando grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) and small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) for structural analysis during device aging.
- Performance characterization including measurements of short-circuit current (JSC), fill factor (FF), and open-circuit voltage (VOC).
Main Results:
- Reference solar cells without additives exhibit degradation driven by changes in crystallinity and microstructure, not redox reactions.
- A four-stage degradation process was identified, involving decreased lattice spacing and crystallite coherence length, increased domain sizes, and material decomposition.
- Atums Green doping effectively inhibited these morphological changes and decomposition, leading to enhanced device stability under illumination in air.
Conclusions:
- The study reveals the kinetic degradation process in organic solar cells, linking morphological evolution to performance loss.
- Atums Green doping significantly improves the stability and performance of organic solar cells by suppressing degradation pathways.
- This work highlights the potential of Atums Green as a highly effective solid additive for stable and efficient organic solar cells.
