Control of Phase Separation and Crystallization for High-Efficiency and Mechanically Deformable Organic Solar Cells

Stretchable organic solar cells(OSCs)have great potential as power sources for the next-generation wearable electronics.Although blending rigid photovoltaic components with soft insulating materials can easily endow the mechanical ductility of active layers,the photovoltaic efficiencies usually drops in the resulting OSCs.Herein,a high photovoltaic efficiency of 15.03%and a large crack-onset strain of 15.70%is simultaneously achieved based on a ternary blend consisting of polymer donor poly[(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))](PM6),non-fullerene accepter 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(Y6),and soft elastomer polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene-ran-butylene)-block-polystyrene(SEBS)through the control of phase separation and crystallization.By employing a high-boiling point solvent additive 1-chloronaphthalene(CN)with different solubilities for PM6 and Y6,the aggregation dynamics of PM6 and Y6 as well as the film solidification process are dramatically altered,allowing for the different molecular rearrangement and liquid-liquid phase separation evolution.Consequently,the ternary film with optimal CN content presents decreased SEBS domains and moderately improved molecular ordering of PM6 and Y6,enabling effective mechanical deformation and charge generation/transport.The revealed corrections between the film-formation process,film microstructure,and photovoltaic/mechanical characteristics in the ternary blend provide deep understanding of the morphology control toward high-performance stretchable OSCs.

ITO Etched by Photolithography Used in the Fabrication of Flexible Organic Solar Cells with PET Substrates

In this study, the authors have shown the power conversion efficiency of flexible organic solar cells. The structure of the device is PET/ITO/PEDOT： PSS/P3HT： PCBM/AI. P3HT （poly-3-hexylthiophene）. It was used as an electron donor, PCBM （[6, 6]-phenyl C6 l-butyric acid methyl ester） as an electron acceptor and PEDOT： PSS used as a HIL （hole injection layer）. These materials were deposited by spin coating method on the flexible substrates. Photolithography method is used to etch ITO. The electrical parameters of the fabricated cells were investigated by means of J （V）, FF （fill factor）, the efficiency （r/）, photocurrent and IPCE measurement. It was observed that 45% of the absorbed photons are converted into current. The results obtained using etching technology by photolithography is better than that obtained in the clean room.

Organic Solar Cells Flexible P3HT：PCBM Thin Film and Improving Its Performance

Organic solar cells （OSCs） is a new generation of solar cells have emerged as an alternative to conventional Si-based solar cells owing to their advantages of low cost, ease of fabrication and their potential for the manufacture of flexible and large area solar cells. So we chose that part to beginning study of the material and all parameters effects in environmental condition because the solar cell working in environment. In this study the fabrication of poly（3-hexylthiophene） （P3HT） and [6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester （PCBM） blend flexible thin film using spin coating was reported. Process parameters like solvent, electron donor to acceptor ratio, concentration and temperature were also studied. We used solvent systems to make active layer of P3HT：PCBM composite and PEDOT：PSS as a buffer layer. Highest absorption was obtained for the flexible thin film made with 1：1 and 1：0.75 ratio of P3HT to PCBM. Chloroform solvent in 40 gm/ml concentration at 90 ~C was the optimum conditions to make flexible device.

Large-Area Gravure-Printed AgNWs Electrode on Water/Oxygen Barrier Substrate for Long-Term Stable Large-Area Flexible Organic Solar Cells

Large-area AgNWs electrodes(25 cm×10 cm)were fabricated through roll-to-roll printing on the polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)modified water and oxygen barrier substrate.The modification of the barrier film with PVA improved the wettability of silver nanowires on the barrier films and led to the formation of homogenous large-area AgNWs networks.The mechanical flexibility,especially the adhesion force between the silver electrode and the barrier film substrate was dramatically improved through PVA modification.The efficiency of 13.51%for the flexible OSCs with an area of 0.64 cm2 was achieved based on the PET/barrier film/PVA/AgNWs electrode.The long-term stability showed the flexible OSCs based on the PET/barrier film/PVA/AgNWs electrode have a significantly improved stability relative to the device on PET/AgNWs electrode,and comparable air stability as the rigid device with glass/ITO device.The unencapsulated devices maintained nearly 50%of the original efficiency after storage for 600 h in air.After a simple top encapsulation,the flexible devices remained at 60%of the initial efficiency after 2000 h in the air.Therefore,the flexible AgNWs electrode based on the barrier film would have the potential to improve the air storage stability of organic flexible solar cells.

Modeling and Simulation of an Organic Photovoltaic Cell: ITO/MoO3/CARAPA/PCBM/Alq3/Al with SCAPS

Renewable energies are of major interest due to their inexhaustible and clean nature, with minimal impact on the environment. Numerous technological pathways exist in this field, each distinguished by the materials used and their implementation principles. However, the cost-efficiency ratio remains a significant challenge for researchers. Currently, organic materials are gaining popularity due to their relatively low cost. However, their performance, particularly in terms of conversion efficiency, still requires improvements. This study focuses on optimizing the organic photovoltaic cell ITO/MoO3/CARAPA/PCBM/Alq3/Al using SCAPS. Several parameters were considered, such as layer thickness, recombination center density, and doping, to improve the cell’s performance. The optimal parameters obtained include an efficiency of 3%, a fill factor of 81.67%, an open-circuit voltage of 1610 mV, and a short-circuit current of 2.28 mA/cm2. The study also revealed that doping the phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) layer has a significant impact on efficiency and short-circuit current, improving these parameters up to a certain point before causing degradation due to increased recombination. Furthermore, high doping of the tri (8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq3) layer improves performance up to a critical threshold, after which degradation is also observed. In contrast, doping the molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) layer does not have a notable impact on cell performance. Regarding the thickness of the active Carapaprocera (CARAPA) and PCBM layers, non-optimal values lead to a decrease in performance. Similarly, an optimal thickness of the Alq3 layer significantly improves efficiency. These results highlight the importance of parameter optimization to maximize the efficiency of organic solar cells.

Unsymmetrical donor—acceptor—donor—acceptor type indoline based organic semiconductors with benzothiadiazole cores for solution-processed bulk heterojunction solar cells

Bulk heterojunction(BHJ) solar cells based on small molecules have attracted potential attention due to their promise of conveniently defined structures, high absorption coefficients, solution process-ability and easy fabrication. Three D—A—D—A type organic semiconductors(WS-31,WS-32 and WS-52) are synthesized, based on the indoline donor and benzotriazole auxiliary acceptor core, along with either bare thiophene or rigid cyclopentadithiophene as π bridge, rhodanine or carbonocyanidate as end-group. Their HOMO orbitals are delocalized throughout the whole molecules. Whereas the LUMOs are mainly localized on the acceptor part of structure, which reach up to benzothiadiazole, but no distribution on indoline donor. The first excitations for WS-31 and WS-32 are mainly originated by electron transition from HOMO to LUMO level, while for WS-52, partly related to transition between HOMO and LUMO+1 level. The small organic molecules are applied as donor components in bulk heterojunction(BHJ) organic solar cells, using PC_(61)BM as acceptor material to check their photovoltaic performances. The BHJ solar cells based on blended layer of WS-31:PC_(61)BM and WS-32:PC_(61)BM processed with chloroform show overall photoelectric conversion efficiency(PCE) of 0.56% and 1.02%, respectively. WS-32 based BHJ solar cells show a higher current density originated by its relatively larger driving force of photo-induced carrier in photo-active layer to LUMO of PC_(61)BM.

Recent Progress in All-Solution-Processed Organic Solar Cells

All-solution-processed organic solar cells(OSCs)(from the bottom electrode to the top electrode)are highly attractive thanks to their low cost,lightweight and high-throughput production.However,achieving highly efficient all-solution-processed OSCs remains a significant challenge.One of the key issues is the lack of high-quality solution-processed electrode systems that can replace indium tin oxide(ITO)and vacuum-deposited metal electrodes.In this paper,we comprehensively review recent advances in all-solution-processed osCs,and classified the devices as the top electrode materials,including silver nanowires(AgNWs),conducting polymers and composite conducting materials.The correlation between electrode materials,properties of electrodes,and device performance in all-solution-processed OSCs is elucidated.In addition,the critical roles of the active layer and interface layer are also discussed.Finally,the prospects and challenges of all-solution-processed OSCs are presented.

Review and perspective of materials for flexible solar cells

Thin-film flexible solar cells are lightweight and mechanically robust.Along with rapidly advancing battery technology,flexible solar panels are expected to create niche products that require lightweight,mechanical flexibility,and moldability into complex shapes,such as roof-panel for electric automobiles,foldable umbrellas,camping tents,etc.In this paper,we provide a comprehensive assessment of relevant materials suitable for making flexible solar cells.Substrate materials reviewed include metals,ceramics,glasses,and plastics.For active materials,we focus primarily on emerging new semiconductors including small organic donor/acceptor molecules,conjugated donor/acceptor polymers,and organometal halide perovskites.For electrode materials,transparent conducting oxides,thin metal films/nanowires,nanocarbons,and conducting polymers are reviewed.We also discuss the merits,weaknesses,and future perspectives of these materials for developing next-generation flexible photovoltaics.

生物质基有机太阳能电池材料研究进展

有机太阳能电池(OSCs)具有成本低、可大规模溶液加工、轻量化和柔性等优势,近年来已引起人们的广泛关注,当前OSCs的最高光电转换效率已超过19%。然而,绝大多数OSCs材料主要是采用化石资源衍生物制造,这对OSCs的可持续发展构成了严重威胁。研究者已开展了大量关于生物质基光电材料的开发工作,并成功将这些材料用作OSCs的衬底、光敏活性层与载流子传输层。本文首先对OSCs的器件结构和工作原理进行了介绍,重点对木质素、纤维素、叶绿素等生物质基光电材料的制备及其在OSCs中的应用展开综述,最后对生物质基OSCs材料的发展方向做出了展望,旨在为后续的相关研发工作提供借鉴。

Silane or Siloxane-Side-Chain Engineering of Photovoltaic Materials for Organic Solar Cells

With the tactful material design,skillful device engineering,and in-depth understanding of morphology optimization,organic solar cells (OSCs) have achieved considerable success.Therefore,OSCs have reached high power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) exceeding 19%.Especially,continuously emerging new materials have been considered as one of the key factors to improve the PCEs of OSCs.Among molecular design strategies,side-chain engineering is an easy and commonly-used means which can optimize the solubility,alter intermolecular stacking arrangement,fine-tune the open circuit voltage (VOC),thus ultimately improve the performance.As hybrid side chains,silane and siloxane side chains have considerable effects,not only in increasing the carrier mobility and tuning the energy level,but also in affecting the crystallinity and molecular orientation.In this review,the latest developments in photovoltaic materials based on silane and siloxane side chains are presented to illustrate the structure-property relationships.The review comprehensively includes silane-side based polymer/small molecule donors;siloxane-side based polymer/small molecule donors,and polymer/small molecule acceptors.Then the similarities and differences between these two side chains are demonstrated.Finally,the possible applications and future prospects of silane and siloxane side chains are presented.

固体添加剂2-(噻吩-2-亚甲基)丙二腈的合成及其有机光伏性能

为了提高有机光伏器件性能,合成了一种结构简单、成本低的固体添加剂2-(噻吩-2-亚甲基)丙二腈(SAT),并测试了其对非富勒烯有机太阳能电池性能的影响。测试结果显示,优化后的共混薄膜的紫外可见吸收光谱红移了14 nm,荧光强度显著降低。而且,薄膜的结晶度更高,形成的相分离形貌更加均匀,分子堆叠更加有序,有利于激子分离和电荷传输。与未使用SAT优化的器件相比,当SAT的质量浓度为5 mg/mL时,开路电压由0.85 V降低至0.83 V,短路电流由21.15 mA/cm^(2)提升至23.58 mA/cm^(2),填充因子由65.70%提升至71.17%,能量转换效率由11.89%提升至13.90%。

Calixarenes enabling well-adjusted organic-inorganic interface for inverted organic solar cells with 18.25%efficiency and multifold improved photostability under max power point tracking

Compared with organic solar cells(OSCs) adopting conventional architecture,inverted OSCs have offered generally better stability,where Zn O is the most widely used electron transporting layer(ETL) material.For ZnO-based inverted OSCs,a welltuned interface of organic(active layer)-inorganic(Zn O film) with matched surface energy(γS) is critical for both high performance and high stability.In this work,two typical calixarenes,C4A and Bu C4A,were employed as the tuning agents to adjust this organic-inorganic interface for ZnO-based inverted OSCs.As a result,with PM6:L8-BO as the active layer,significantly promoted power conversion efficiencies(PCEs) from 17.14%(for ZnO) to 18.25%(for ZnO/C4A) and 17.80%(for ZnO/Bu C4A) were achieved.Photodynamic studies indicate that the enhanced performance is due to the faster charge extraction process,the suppressed recombination and more ideal internal electric field in ZnO/calixarene-based devices.In addition,wellmatched interface energy and more ordered molecular aggregation in active layer effectively improved photostability and thermal stability for ZnO/calixarene-based devices.These results indicate that calixarenes could act as effective modifying agents of ZnO to improve inverted OSCs’ performance and stability simultaneously,and likely also stimulate calixarenes’ and other macromolecules’ broader studies in other organic electronic devices.

有机太阳能电池第三组分对器件性能的影响

有机太阳能电池(OSCs)的能量转换效率(PCE)已经超过19%,但仍落后于商业化的无机硅太阳能电池。研究表明,通过在二元OSC中引入第三组分构建三元有机太阳能电池(TOSCs)可进一步提高器件的光伏性能。本文简要概述了有机光伏的发展历程,三元有机太阳能电池国内外研究现状,并就第三组分对器件性能的影响作了总结分析,如第三组分对短路电流、填充因子和能量损失的影响等。期望能给同行开展相关研究提供思路和一定的借鉴意义。

基于双氰基茚满二酮吸电子单元的非对称小分子给体的合成及其光伏性能

采用双氰基茚满二酮为吸电子单元,分别以苯并二噻吩并吡咯和4,4-二甲基三苯胺为给电子单元,设计合成了两种具有给电子-吸电子(D-A)型结构的非对称小分子给体材料D1和D2;通过紫外-可见吸收光谱和循环伏安法研究了这两个小分子给体的光学性能及电化学性质,并考察了由这两个小分子和C 70制备的全小分子有机太阳能电池的光伏性能.研究结果表明:含有稠环给电子单元的小分子给体D1比含有三苯胺给电子单元的D2具有更宽的光学吸收、更低的最高占据分子轨道能级和更好的光伏性能;以D1和D2为给体、C_(70)为受体的可真空蒸镀有机太阳能电池的最高光电转换效率分别为5.03%和3.78%.

挥发固体添加剂调控有机太阳能电池性能的研究进展

本体异质结(BHJ)有机太阳能电池(OSC)因具有可溶液制备、绿色无毒及可柔性化等特点而被视为具有广阔应用前景的太阳能电池技术之一.活性层内部的纳米形貌是决定器件性能和工作稳定性的关键因素之一.基于此,研究者先后开发了热退火、溶剂退火和溶剂添加剂等形貌优化方法.然而,上述处理方式不能与大面积印刷工艺兼容,而且不利于器件内部形貌和性能的稳定性,因此寻找简单高效的形貌调控手段是OSC研究的热点.近年来,挥发固体添加剂因其独特的分子特性,能够与给受体分子间形成较强的相互作用力,被认为是提升OSC能量转换效率(PCE)和稳定性的发展方向.本文系统总结了非卤素及卤素型挥发固体添加剂调控OSC形貌和光伏性能的研究现状,深入讨论了挥发固体添加剂优化活性层形貌的不同机理,包括分子间吸附能、给体与受体的相互作用、晶体成核和生长等;分析了挥发固体添加剂策略所面临的挑战和未来的发展趋势.

Achieving over 16% efficiency for single-junction organic solar cells

To achieve high photovoltaic performance of bulk hetero-junction organic solar cells(OSCs), a range of critical factors including absorption profiles, energy level alignment, charge carrier mobility and miscibility of donor and acceptor materials should be carefully considered. For electron-donating materials, the deep highest occupied molecular orbital(HOMO) energy level that is beneficial for high open-circuit voltage is much appreciated. However, a new issue in charge transfer emerges when matching such a donor with an acceptor that has a shallower HOMO energy level. More to this point, the chemical strategies used to enhance the absorption coefficient of acceptors may lead to increased molecular crystallinity, and thus result in less controllable phase-separation of photoactive layer. Therefore, to realize balanced photovoltaic parameters, the donor-acceptor combinations should simultaneously address the absorption spectra, energy levels, and film morphologies. Here, we selected two non-fullerene acceptors, namely BTPT-4F and BTPTT-4F, to match with a wide-bandgap polymer donor P2F-EHp consisting of an imidefunctionalized benzotriazole moiety, as these materials presented complementary absorption and well-matched energy levels. By delicately optimizing the blend film morphology, we demonstrated an unprecedented power conversion efficiency of over 16% for the device based on P2F-EHp:BTPTT-4F, suggesting the great promise of materials matching toward high-performance OSCs.

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.

基于Y6小分子性能优化策略综述

随着给体和受体材料的不断发展,有机太阳能电池的光电转换效率逐步提升。尤其是稠环受体小分子Y6的合成,使单节有机太阳能电池的效率独创新高,突破了15%。目前Y6已经应用于有机太阳能电池,并都取得了可观的成绩。进一步提高有机太阳能电池的光电转换效率,使其商业化是我们一直追求的目标。本综述主要总结了从不同方面优化Y6基受体小分子,提高OSC的光电转化效率。包括调整Y6结构,选择新的供体以及器件工程。

Effects of subtle change in side chains on the photovoltaic performance of small molecular donors for solar cells

Small-molecule organic solar cells(SMOSCs)have attracted considerable attention owing to the merits of small molecules,such as easy purification,well-defined chemical structure.To achieve high-performance SMOSCs,the rational design of well-matched donor and acceptor materials is extremely essential.In this work,two new small molecular donor materials with subtle change in the conjugated side thiophene rings are synthesized.The subtle change significantly affects the photovoltaic performance of molecular donors.Compared with chlorinated molecule MDJ-Cl,the non-chlorinated analogue MDJ exhibits decreased miscibility with the non-fullerene acceptor Y6,can more efficiently quench the excitons of Y6.As a result,a improved PCE of 11.16% is obtained for MDJ:Y6 based SMOSCs.The results highlight the importance of fine-tuning the molecular structure to achieve high-performance SMOSCs.

柔性有机太阳能电池基板COC的表面物理化学性能研究

采用氧等离子体处理对柔性有机太阳能电池(O SC)基板环烯烃共聚物(COC)进行表面改性,基于接触角测量,利用几何平均法计算了COC表面自由能及其极性分量、色散分量以及表面极性度,研究了氧等离子体处理对COC基板表面物理化学性能的影响.结果表明:COC基板表面性能与氧等离子体处理工艺条件密切相关,等离子体改性使得COC表面接触角减小、自由能增大、极性度增加,其表面物理化学性能得到明显优化.这-结果对于O SC柔性电极制备及其器件光伏性能改善具有重要作用.