Enhancement of vertical phase separation in sequentially deposited organic photovoltaics through the independent processing of additives

Herein,the impact of the independent control of processing additives on vertical phase separation in sequentially deposited (SD) organic photovoltaics (OPVs) and its subsequent effects on charge carrier kinetics at the electron donor-acceptor interface are investigated.The film morphology exhibits notable variations,significantly depending on the layer to which 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO) was applied.Grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering analysis reveals distinctly separated donor/acceptor phases and vertical crystallinity details in SD films.Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis is employed to obtain component distributions in diverse vertical phase structures of SD films depending on additive control.In addition,nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy shows that DIO control significantly affects the dynamics of separated charges in SD films.In SD OPVs,DIO appears to act through distinct mechanisms with minimal restriction,depending on the applied layer.This study emphasizes the significance of morphological optimization in improving device performance and underscores the importance of independent additive control in the advancement of OPV technology.

Investigation on a vertical radial flow adsorber designed by a novel parallel connection method

Due to the increasing global demand for industrial gas, the development of large-scale cryogenic air separation systems has attracted considerable attention in recent years. Increasing the height of the adsorption bed in a vertical radial flow adsorber used in cryogenic air separation systems may efficiently increase the treatment capacity of the air in the adsorber. However, uniformity of the flow distribution of the air inside the adsorber would be deteriorated using the height-increasing method. In order to reduce the non-uniformity of the flow distribution caused by the excessive height of adsorption bed in a vertical radial flow adsorber, a novel parallel connection method is proposed in the present work. The experimental apparatus is designed and constructed; the Computational Fluid Dynamics(CFD) technique is used to develop a CFD-based model, which is used to analyze the flow distribution, the static pressure drop and the radial velocity in the newly designed adsorber. In addition, the geometric parameters of annular flow channels and the adsorption bed thickness of the upper unit in the parallelconnected vertical radial flow adsorber are optimized, so that the upper and lower adsorption units could be penetrated by air simultaneously. Comparisons are made between the height-increasing method and the parallel connection method with the same adsorber height. It is shown that using the parallel connection method could reduce the difference between the maximum and minimum radial static pressure drop by 86.2% and improve the uniformity by 80% compared with those of using the height-increasing method. The optimal thickness ratio of the upper and lower adsorption units is obtained as 0.966, in which case the upper and lower adsorption units could be penetrated by air simultaneously, so that the adsorbents in adsorption space could be used more efficiently.

Solid Additive-Assisted Layer-by-Layer Processing for 19%Efficiency Binary Organic Solar Cells

Morphology is of great significance to the performance of organic solar cells(OSCs),since appropriate morphology could not only promote the exciton dissociation,but also reduce the charge recombination.In this work,we have developed a solid additive-assisted layer-by-layer(SAA-LBL)processing to fabricate high-efficiency OSCs.By adding the solid additive of fatty acid(FA)into polymer donor PM6 solution,controllable pre-phase separation forms between PM6 and FA.This intermixed morphology facilitates the diffusion of acceptor Y6 into the donor PM6 during the LBL processing,due to the good miscibility and fast-solvation of the FA with chloroform solution dripping.Interestingly,this results in the desired morphology with refined phase-separated domain and vertical phase-separation structure to better balance the charge transport/collection and exciton dissociation.Consequently,the binary single junction OSCs based on PM6:Y6 blend reach champion power conversion efficiency(PCE)of 18.16%with SAA-LBL processing,which can be generally applicable to diverse systems,e.g.,the PM6:L8-BO-based devices and thick-film devices.The efficacy of SAA-LBL is confirmed in binary OSCs based on PM6:L8-BO,where record PCEs of 19.02%and 16.44%are realized for devices with 100 and 250 nm active layers,respectively.The work provides a simple but effective way to control the morphology for high-efficiency OSCs and demonstrates the SAA-LBL processing a promising methodology for boosting the industrial manufacturing of OSCs.

Optimization of solvent swelling for efficient organic solar cells via sequential deposition

Compared to bulk heterojunction(BHJ)organic solar cells(OSCs)prepared by the blend casting in“one step process”,sequential deposition(SD)processed OSCs can realize an ideal profile of vertical component distribution due to the swelling of polymer films.Herein,we did trials on several kinds of second solvents for swelling the polymer layer,and investigated the packing structure and morphology of the swollen films and the performance of the resulting devices.We found that an optimized morphology can be achieved by solvent swelling while using orthodichlorobenzene(o-DCB)as the second layer processing-solvent,with polymer donor PffBT-3 as bottom layer,PC71BM as top layer and bicontinuous networks in the middle.Such solvent swelling process also makes the SD method exempt from thermal annealing treatment.The device based on SD yields a power conversion effi-ciency(PCE)up to 8.7%without any post-treatment,outperforming those from the devices based on SD using other solvents and that(7.06%)from BHJ device,respectively.We also extended the use of this approach to allpolymer blend system,and successfully improved the efficiency from 4.72%(chloroform)to 9.35%(o-DCB),which is among the highest PCEs in all-polymer-based OSCs fabricated with SD method.The results demonstrate that the swelling of the polymer by the second layer solvent is a necessity for SD,paving the way towards additivefree high-performance OSCs.

Calculation of reverse-fault-related parameters using topographic profiles and fault bedding

Fault-related parameters are critical for studying tectonic evolution, deformation character- istics, active tectonism, and seismic hazards. A new method of calculating reverse-fault- related parameters has been developed, which uses systematic analysis of the geometrical characteristics of normal and reverse scarps of reverse faults together with measurements of topographic profiles and fault bedding. The results show that the most suitable method of calculating fault parameters heavily relies on the specific type of fault scarp. For a reverse scarp, the size of the vertical displacement （VD） of the fault, the vertical separation （VS） of the hanging wall and the footwall, and the fault scarp height （SH）how the relationship VD ≥VS ≥ SH; conversely, for normal scarps, VD ≤ VS ≤ SH. The theoretical equations were used to study fault deformation in the Southwest Tianshan Mountain foreland basin. The results showed that, for every fault, VD ≥ VS ≥SH, which is consistent with our predicted relationship. This finding demonstrates that this method is suitable to explore structural information of reverse faults. In the study area, the vertical displacement is 1.4 times the horizontal displacement, suggesting that fiexural-slip faults may play an important role in transferring local deformation from horizontal shortening to vertical uplift. Therefore, one of the most important steps in correct calculation of reverse-fault-related parameters is selection of the proper equations by identifying the specific type of fault scarp and the corresponding calculation method.

Effects of acetone-soaking treatment on the performance of polymer solar cells based on P3HT/PCBM bulk heterojunction

The improvement of the acetone-soaking treatment to the performance of polymer solar cells based on the P3HT/PCBM bulk heterojunction is reported. Undergoing acetone-soaking, the PCBM does not distribute uniformly in the vertical direction, a PCBM enrichment layer forms on the top of the active layer, which is beneficial to the collec- tion of the carriers and blocking the inverting diffusion carriers. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） analysis reveals that the PCBM weight ratio on the top of the active layer increases by 20% after the acetone-soaking treatment. Due to the nonuniform distribution of PCBM, the short-circuit current density, the open-circuit voltage, and the fill factor are enhanced significantly. Finally, the power conversion efficiency of the acetone-soaking device increases by 31% compared with the control device.

Comparison of conventional and inverted structures in fullerene-free organic solar cells

A n-type small molecule DC-IDT2E with 4,4,9,9-tetrakis（4-hexylphenyl）-indaceno[1,2-b：5,6-bt]dithiophene as a central building block, furan as rr-bridges, and 1,1 -dicyanomethylene-3-indanone as end acceptor groups, was synthesized and used as an electron acceptor in solution-processed organic solar cells （OSCs）. DC-IDT2F exhibited good thermal stability, broad and strong absorption in 500-850 rim, a narrow bandgap of 1.54 eV, LUMO of-3.88 eV, HOMO of-5.44 eV and an electron mobility of 6.5 × 10-4 cm2/（V.s）. DC-IDT2F-based OSCs with conventional and inverted structures exhibited power conversion efficiencies of 2.26 and 3.08% respec- tively. The effect of vertical phase separation and morphology of the active layer on the device performance in the two structures was studied.

Control of vertical phase separation in high performance non-fullerene organic solar cell by introducing oscillating stratification preprocessing

Non-fullerene organic solar cell(NFOSC)has attracted tremendous attention due to their great potential for commercial applications.To improve its power conversion efficiency(PCE),generally,sequential solution deposition(SSD)methods have been employed to construct the graded vertical phase separation(VPS)of the bulk-heterojunction(BHJ)active layer for efficient exciton separation and charge transition.However,a variety of orthogonal solvents used in the SSD may lead to the unpredicted change in the BHJ morphology and introduce additional defects inside the BHJ bulk thus complicate the fabrication process.Here,a simple oscillating stratification preprocessing(OSP)is developed to facilitate the formation of graded VPS among the BHJ layer.As a result,a significant improvement is obtained in PCE from 10.96%to 12.03%,which is the highest value reported among PBDB-T:ITIC based NFOSC.

Constructing vertical phase separation of polymer blends via mixed solvents to enhance their photovoltaic performance

A polymer blend comprising poly(3-hexylthiophene)(P3HT)donor and poly[2,7-(9,9′-octyl-fluorene)-alt-5,5-(4′,7′-di-2-thienyl-5′,6′-bis(hexyloxy)-2′,1′,3′-benzothiadiazole)](PFDTBT-OC6)acceptor is used as the active layer to fabricate all-polymer solar cells.The blend morphology variance processed with pure and mixed solvents,and the related photovoltaic performance,are investigated in detail.It is found that,due to its low surface energy,a thin P3HT enrichment layer on the top surface of the active layer greatly increases bimolecular recombination and results in S-kinks of the illuminated current density-voltage curves.With the incorporation of p-xylene(a marginal solvent of P3HT)in the blend solution,the P3HT enrichment atop the active layer surface is effectively decreased because the high boiling-point p-xylene suppresses the diffusion of P3HT chains toward the top surface during the film-drying process.The bimolecular recombination was thus improved and the S-kinks of the photovoltaic curves were completely removed.The overall power conversion efficiencies of the devices are strongly boosted(from 0.88%to 1.41%)when chlorobenzene:p-xylene mixed solvent is used to replace pure chlorobenzene.

Layer-by-layer slot-die coated high-efficiency organic solar cells processed using twin boiling point solvents under ambient condition

Layer-by-layer (LbL) strategy has been developed to form bulk heterojunction (BHJ) structure for processing efficient organic solar cells (OSCs). Herein, LbL slot-die coating with twin boiling point solvents (TBPS) strategy was developed to fabricate highly efficient OSCs, which matches with large-scale, high throughput roll-to-roll (R2R) industrialized mass process. The TBPS strategy could produce high-quality thin film without any additive, leading to the optimized vertical phase separation with interpenetrating nanostructures, as well as the enhanced charge transport and extraction. Thus, the power conversion efficiency up to 14.42% was achieved for [(2,6-(4,8-bis(5-(2-ethylhexyl-3-fluoro)thiophen-2-yl)-benzo [1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene))-alt-(5,5-(1′,3′-di-2-thienyl-5′,7′-bis(2-ethylhexyl)benzo[1′,2′-c:4′,5′-c′]dithiophene-4,8-dione)]:2,2′-((2Z,2′Z)-((12,13-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-3,9-diundecyl-12,13-dihydro-[1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4-e]thieno[2″,3″:4″,5″]thieno[2′,3′:4,5]pyrrolo[3,2-g]thieno[2′,3′:4,5]thieno[3,2-b]indole-2,10-diyl)bis(methanylylidene)) bis(5,6-difluoro-3-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-indene-2,1-diylidene))dimalononitrile (PM6:Y6) OSCs fabricated via sequentially LbL slot-die coating using the TBPS strategy under ambient condition. The research provides a potential route for industrialized production of high-efficiency and large-area OSC devices.

Layer-by-layered organic solar cells:Morphology optimizing strategies and processing techniques

The last decades have witnessed the rapid development and the gradually improved efficiencies of organic solar cells(OSCs),which show great potentials in the fabrication of eco-friendly and flexible photovoltaic panels.Layer-by-layered(LBL)structure via sequential processing of the donor and acceptor layers becomes an advisable option to construct pseudo-bilayer configurations in OSC active layer.Favorable vertical phase separation and sufficient exciton dissociation interfaces can be simultaneously realized in such aggregation morphology via different processing technologies and strategies.High efficiencies of over 18%in ternary LBL device and 11.9%in LBL-processed module(11.52 cm2)have been successfully achieved in recent works.Moreover,the unique merits of LBL structure in individual layer processing enable it a promising candidate for large-scale printing and further industrialization of OSCs.This perspective provides the recent advance of LBL OSCs with the focus on fabrication technologies and strategies for morphology control and also proposes the current thinking and perspective on LBL structures for future development.

A new vibration mechanism of balancing machine for satellite-borne spinning rotors

The centrifugal force and overturning moment generated by satellite-borne rotating payload have a significant impact on the stability of on-orbit satellite attitude, which must be controlled to the qualified range. For the satellite-borne rotors＇ low working revs and large centroidal deviation and height, and that the horizontal vibration produced by centrifugal force is not of the same magnitude as the torsional vibration by overturning moment, the balancing machine＇s measurement accuracy is low. Analysis shows that the mixture of horizontal vibration and torsional vibration of the vibrational mechanism contribute mainly to the machine＇s performance, as well as the instability of vibration center position. A vibrational mechanism was put forward, in which the horizontal and torsional vibration get separated effectively by way of fixing the vibration center. From experimental results, the separation between the weak centrifugal force signal and the strong moment signal was realized, errors caused by unstable vibration center are avoided, and the balancing machine based on this vibration structure is able to meet the requirements of dynamic balancing for the satellite＇s rotating payloads in terms of accuracy and stability.

Molecular dispersion enhances photovoltaic efficiency and thermal stability in quasi-bilayer organic solar cells

In comparison to widely adopted bulk heterojunction(BHJ)structures for organic solar cells(OSC),exploiting the sequential deposition to form planar heterojunction(PHJ)structures enables to realize the favorable vertical phase separation to facilitate charge extraction and reduce charge recombination in OSCs.However,effective tunings on the power conversion efficiency(PCE)in PHJ-OSCs are still restrained by the currently available methods.Based on a polymeric donor PBDBT-2 F(PBDBT=Poly[[4,8-bis[5-(2-ethylhexyl)-4-fluoro-2-thienyl]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-2,6-diyl]-2,5-thiophenediyl[5,7-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-4,8-dioxo-4 H,8 H-benzo[1,2-c:4,5-c′]dithiophene-1,3-diyl]-2,5-thiophenediyl])and a non-fullerene(NF)acceptor Y6,we proposed a strategy to improve the properties of photovoltaic performances in PHJ-based OSCs through dilute dispersions of the PBDBT-2 F donor into the acceptor-dominant phase with the sequential film deposition.With the control of donor dispersions,the charge transport balance in the PHJ-OSCs is improved,leading to the expedited photocarrier sweep-out with reduced bimolecular charge recombination.As a result,a PCE of 15.4%is achieved in the PHJ-OSCs.Importantly,the PHJ solar cells with donor dispersions exhibit better thermal stability than corresponding BHJ devices,which is related to the better film morphology robustness and less affected charge sweep-out during the thermal aging.