Semitransparent Organic Solar Cells with Superior Thermal/Light Stability and Balanced Efficiency and Transmittance

Semitransparent organic solar cells show attractive potential in the application of building-integrated photovoltaics,agrivoltaics,floating photovoltaics,and wearable electronics,as their multiple functionalities of electric power generation,photopermeability,and color tunability.Design and exploration of semitransparent organic solar cells with optimal and balanced efficiency and average visible light transmittance and simultaneously high stability are in great demand.In this work,based on a layer-by-layer-processed active layer and an ultrathin metal electrode,inverted semitransparent organic solar cells(ITO/AZO/PM6/BTP-eC9/MoO_(3)/Au/Ag)were fabricated.Optimal and balanced efficiency and average visible light transmittance were demonstrated,and simultaneously promising thermal and light stability were achieved for the obtained devices.The power conversion efficiency of 13.78-12.29%and corresponding average visible light transmittance of 14.58-25.80%were recorded for the ST-OSC devices with 25-15 nm thick Ag electrodes,respectively.Superior thermal and light stability with~90%and~85%of initial efficiency retained in 400 h under 85°C thermal stress and AM1.5 solar illumination were demonstrated,respectively.

TTA as a potential hole transport layer for application in conventional polymer solar cells

Hole transport layers(HTLs)play a vital role in organic solar cells(OSCs).In this work,a derivative of tetrathiafulvalene with four carboxyl groups TTA was introduced as a novel HTL to fabricate OSC with high performance.Displaying a better energy level match between HTL and active layers,the TTA based devices show a peak power conversion efficiency of 9.09%,which is comparable to the devices based on PEDOT:PSS.The favorable surface morphology recorded via atomic force microscopy,low series loss and charge recombination indicated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy,synchronously verify the potential of TTA for application in OSCs as a valid kind of HTLs.

The effect of multiple pairs of meta-dicarboxyl groups on molecular self-assembly and the selective adsorption of coronene by hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces

The prediction of two-dimensional molecular self-assembly structures has always been a problem to be solved.The molecules with meta-dicarboxyl groups can self-assemble into a specific hexagonal cavity,which has an important influence on the prediction of molecular self-assembly structures and the application of functional molecules with meta-dicarboxyl groups.Two kinds of molecules with four pairs of meta-dicarboxyl groups,1,3,6,8-tet「akis(3,5-isophthalic acid)pyrene(H_(8)TIAPy)and 4′,4′",4′"",4""-(ethene-1,1,2,2-tetrayl)tetrakis(([1,1′-biphenyl]-3,5-dicarboxylic acid))(H8ETTB)molecules were chosen to observe the self-assembly behavior at the heptanoic acid/highly oriented pyrolytic graphite(HA/HOPG)interface.H8TIAPy molecules self-assembled into well-ordered quadrilateral structures and could be regulated into kagome networks with hexagonal pores by coronene(COR)molecules.H8ETTB molecules self-assembled into lamellar structures and transformed into acid-COR-acid-COR co-assembled structures at low concentration of COR solution and acid-COR dimer-acid-COR dimer co-assembled structures at high concentration of COR solution.The reason that H8ETTB molecules could not be regulated into hexagonal porous architecture was attributed to the steric hindrance by the similar length and width of H8ETTB molecules.The H8ETTB templates had stronger adsorption for COR than that of hexaphenylbenzene(HPB),regardless of the order of molecular introduction.

Coronene and Bipyridine Derivatives Inducing Diversified Structural Transitions of Carboxylic Acids at the Liquid/Solid Interface

In recent years, the construction of stable multicomponent assembled structures on surfaces and the exploration of the assembled mechanism have become research hotspots. In this paper, the azobenzene-carboxylic acid called (E)-4’,4”’-(diazene-1,2-diyl) bis(([1,1’-biphenyl]-3,5-dicarboxylic acid)) (H4DBBD) could self-assemble into regular network structure at heptanoic acid/graphite via hydrogen bonding, and could be regulated into analogous kagomé network by coronene (COR) molecules. In addition, a series of bipyridine derivatives were further introduced to construct bi-component systems with H4DBBD molecules, and successfully induced diversified structural transitions of H4DBBD on the graphite surface. Combined with scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we have investigated the diversified structural transitions and analyzed the formation mechanism of the assembled systems.

Aza-BODIPY molecular assembly at the liquid-solid interface driven by Br…F-BF interactions

In this work,two aza-BODIPY derivatives,3,5-diphenyl-1,7-di(p-dodecyloxyphenyl)-aza-BODIPY(CJF)and 3,5-di(p-bromophenyl)-1,7-di(p-dodecyloxyphenyl)-aza-BODIPY(2Br-CJF)acted as model molecules to form the self-assembly monolayers on the solid-liquid interface.With the utilizing of scanning tunnelling microscope(STM),we demonstrated that intermolecular Br…F-BF interactions existed in 2Br-CJF self-assembly structure and played an important role in strengthening the stability of 2Br-CJF self-assembly structure.This result is supported by density functional theory(DFT)calculation.

Hydrogen bonding networks controllable by the substitution position of tetrathiafulvalene on the pyridine ring

Tetrathiafulvalene(TTF), as a classical building unit, has attracted considerable attention, especially its functional derivatives. Hydrogen bonding(H-bonding) networks are a class of traditional and stable nanostructures, which play an important role in two-dimensional self-assembly and multi-component co-assembly. In this paper, we studied the regulation of H-bonding networks by functional groups in TTF derivatives. The results indicate that the position of pyridine on TTF not only affects their self-assembly structures in different solvents, but also controls the H-bonding networks through different mechanisms. Both para-TTF and meta-TTF molecules show different co-assembled structures with solvents depending on whether or not the presence of carboxylic acid group. On the pre-prepared H-bonding networks formed by famous 1,3,5-tris(10-carboxydecyloxy)-benzene(TCDB) molecule, both para-TTF and meta-TTF disturbed the original network structures with different degree of TCDB deformation. The formed new H-bonding networks with or without TTF derivatives participation are mainly attributed to the position of pyridine in TTF-based molecules. These results would be important for design of exceptional and functional nanostructures starting with the design of building block.

Advances in self-assembly and regulation of aromatic carboxylic acid derivatives at HOPG interface

Aromatic carboxylic acid self-assembly has been a hot research field for many scientists due to its strong coordination ability and flexible coordination mode.The hydrogen bond formed between aromatic carboxylic acids is a strong intermolecular force and has directionality and saturation,which plays a very important role in the self-assembly and regulation of aromatic carboxylic acids.In this review,we introduce surface organization formed by aromatic carboxylic acids with the aid of scanning tunneling microscopy(STM).These two-dimensional structures include molecular templates,host-guest systems,and photo-isomerization structures.We also emphasize the thermodynamics and dynamics,which are important research topics of current and future study.

Investigation of charge transfer between donor and acceptor for small-molecule organic solar cells by scanning tunneling microscopy and ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy

Small-molecule organic solar cell is a category of clean energy potential device since charge transfers between donor and acceptor.The morphologies,co-assembly behavior,interaction sites,and charge transfer of BTID-nF(n=1,2)/PC71BM donor-acceptor system in the active layer of organic solar cell have been studied employing scanning tunneling microscopy(STM),scanning tunneling spectroscopy(STS),density functional theory(DFT)calculations,and transient absorption(TA)spectroscopy.The results show that BTID-1F and BTID-2F form bright strip structures,whereas BTID-nF(n=1,2)/PC71BM form ridge-like structures with each complex composed of one BTID-nF(n=1,2)molecule and four PC71BM molecules which adsorbed around the BTID-nF(n=1,2)molecule by S···πinteraction.With the assistance of S···πinteraction between BTID-nF(n=1,2)and PC71BM,BTID-nF(n=1,2)/PC71BM co-assembled ridge-like structures are more stable than the BTID-nF(n=1,2)ridge structures.To investigate the charge transfer of BTID-nF(n=1,2)/PC71BM system,STS measurements,DFT calculation,and TA spectroscopy are further performed.The results show that charge transfer occurs in BTID-nF(n=1,2)/PC71BM system with the electron transferring from BTID-nF(n=1,2)molecules to PC71BM.

Self-assemblies of TTF derivatives with fluorinated phenyls and pyridine group

The self-assembly characteristics of tetrathiafulvalene(TTF) derivatives molecules 1-3 at the 1-phenyloctane/HOPG(HOPG = highly oriented pyrolytic graphite) interface had been carefully studied by scanning tunneling microscopy(STM) method. The number of F atoms on the phenyl group had significantly affected the self-assembly structures. High-resolution STM images make clear the different assembly structures between the molecules 1-3, which attribute to the different F atom numbers and pyridine group in the molecule. Density functional theory(DFT) calculations have been performed to reveal the formation mechanism.

Insight into the structural transformation of tetraphenylethylene acids at liquid–solid interface induced by linear aminofunctionalized triazine derivatives and annealing treatment

The interaction between organic photoelectric molecules leads to the formation of a certain aggregation structure,which plays a pivotal role in the charge transport at the intermolecular interface.In view of this,we investigated the mechanism and law of intermolecular interaction by detecting the self-assembled behaviors between organic photoelectric molecules at the interface by scanning tunneling microscopy(STM).In this work,the structural transformations of tetraphenylethylene acids(H_(4)ETTCs)on graphite surface induced by temperature and triazine derivatives(zcy-19,zcy-27,and zcy-38 molecules)were studied by STM technology and density functional theory(DFT)calculations.At room temperature,zcy-19 and H_(4)ETTC molecules formed a small range of ordered co-assembled nanostructure,while for zcy-27 or zcy-38 molecules,no co-assembled nanostructures were observed and only their own self-assembled structures existed on graphite surface,individually.In the thermal annealing trials,the original co-assembled H_(4)ETTC/zcy-19 structure disappeared,and only zcy-19 and H_(4)ETTC self-assembled in separate domains.Nevertheless,new well-ordered H_(4)ETTC/zcy-27 or H_(4)ETTC/zcy-38 co-assembled structures appeared at different annealing temperatures,respectively.Combined with DFT calculations,we further analyzed the mechanism of such structural transformations by triazine derivatives and temperature.Results reveal that triazine derivatives could interact with H_(4)ETTC by N–H···O and O–H···N hydrogen bondings,and whether temperature or zcy series compounds could achieve successful regulation of H_(4)ETTC assembly behavior is closely associated with the conjugated skeleton length of zcy series compounds.