Phenanthrenequinone, a Nonvolatile, Nonhalogenated Solid Additive, for Enhancing Thermal Stability in Organic Solar...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Renewable Energy
• Organic Electronics

Background:

• Organic solar cells (OSCs) performance is often improved by additives.
• Common solvent additives can reduce device stability and contain harmful halogens.
• Existing solid additives may be toxic or complex to synthesize, with limited stability data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce 9,10-phenanthrenequinone (PQ) as a novel, stable additive for OSCs.
• To investigate the impact of PQ on device performance and stability under various conditions.
• To assess the potential of PQ for the commercialization of OSCs.

Main Methods:

• Incorporation of PQ as a nonvolatile, nonhalogenated solid additive in bulk heterojunction OSCs.
• Evaluation of device stability under ambient conditions, illumination, and thermal stress.
• Performance testing of unencapsulated PQ-based devices.

Main Results:

• PQ addition improved device stability by reducing energy disorder and suppressing phase segregation.
• Enhanced morphological stability was observed under illumination and thermal stress.
• PQ-based devices retained over 93% efficiency after 100 hours at 85 °C, showing excellent thermal stability.

Conclusions:

• PQ is a cost-effective, commercially available, and environmentally friendly additive for OSCs.
• PQ significantly enhances the operational stability and efficiency of OSC devices.
• PQ demonstrates great potential for the commercialization of stable and efficient organic solar cells.