Manipulating the solubility properties of polymer donors for high-performance layer-by-layer processed organic solar cells

Ning，Haijun1; Jiang，Qiuju1; Han，Pengwei1; Lin，Man1; Zhang，Gongya1; Chen，Jinming1; Chen，Hui2; Zeng，Shuyi1; Gao，Jinping1; Liu，Jiangang1; He，Feng2; Wu，Qinghe1

2021-11-01

10.1039/d1ee01336j

Energy & Environmental Science   影响因子和分区

1754-5692

1754-5706

High-performance polymer donors are highly demanded to fulfil the potential of layer-by-layer (LBL) processed organic solar cells (OSCs). In this study, we present an effective method to develop high-performance polymer donors for LBL-OSCs by manipulating their solubility properties. The solubility of naphthalenothiophene imide (NTI)-based polymers could be easily manipulated by employing linear or branched alkyl chains in NTI. The polymer PNTB6-Cl with linear alkyl chains insoluble in chloroform could tolerate the chloroform processing by washing away the polymers only in the amorphous region, resulting in an LBL film with a much smoother surface and more efficient photoluminescence quenching, while chloroform-soluble polymer PNTB-Cl did not. PNTB6-Cl:N3 based LBL devices exhibited an efficiency of 17.59%, much higher than 15.24% for PNTB-Cl:N3 based devices and 16.20% for control devices based on PM6:N3. Importantly, the excellent batch-to-batch reproducibility of PNTB6-Cl overcomes the notorious batch-dependent issue in polymer donors, indicating that PNTB6-Cl is a promising polymer donor for LBL-OSCs. Our studies demonstrate that the solubility property of a polymer could significantly impact electron acceptor penetration, phase separation and photovoltaic performance of LBL-OSCs, which provide the guidelines for high-performance polymer donor design.

SCI ; EI

英语

其他

WOS:000697792600001

20214811231070

Chlorine compounds ; Phase separation ; Solubility

Thermodynamics:641.1 ; Solar Cells:702.3 ; Physical Chemistry:801.4 ; Chemical Operations:802.3

2-s2.0-85119679817

Scopus

1.Department of Chemistry,Key Laboratory for Preparation and Application of Ordered Structural Materials of Guangdong,Shantou University,Shantou,Guangdong,515063,China
2.Shenzhen Grubbs Institute,Department of Chemistry,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,518055,China

Ning，Haijun,Jiang，Qiuju,Han，Pengwei,et al. Manipulating the solubility properties of polymer donors for high-performance layer-by-layer processed organic solar cells[J]. Energy & Environmental Science,2021,14(11):5919-5928.

Ning，Haijun.,Jiang，Qiuju.,Han，Pengwei.,Lin，Man.,Zhang，Gongya.,...&Wu，Qinghe.(2021).Manipulating the solubility properties of polymer donors for high-performance layer-by-layer processed organic solar cells.Energy & Environmental Science,14(11),5919-5928.

Ning，Haijun,et al."Manipulating the solubility properties of polymer donors for high-performance layer-by-layer processed organic solar cells".Energy & Environmental Science 14.11(2021):5919-5928.