Side-chain engineering of isoindigo-containing conjugated polymers using polystyrene for high-performance bulk heterojunction solar cells
Research output: Contribution to journal › Research article › Contributed › peer-review
Contributors
Abstract
Developing organic photovoltaic systems that possess high efficiency, high reproducibility, and low cost remains a topic of keen investigation. From a molecular design perspective, developing a "multicomponent" copolymerization synthetic approach could potentially afford macromolecular materials encompassing all of the aforementioned desired parameters. Herein, we describe the synthesis of a series of poly(isoindigo-dithiophene)-based conjugated polymers with varying amounts of low molecular weight polystyrene (PS) side chains (Mn = 1300 g/mol) via random copolymerization. We observed better solubility with polymers containing the PS side chains (when compared to their non-PS-side-chain counterparts), hence leading to better batch-to-batch reproducibility in terms of molecular weights. Furthermore, the PS-side-chain-decorated copolymers also demonstrated better thin film processability, without affecting the electronic and optical properties, when the molar percentage of the PS-containing repeating units were ≤10%. Bulk heterojunction solar cell devices fabricated with these PS-containing copolymers demonstrated significantly improved performances [maximum power conversion efficiencies (PCE) > 7% and open circuit voltages (VOC) ≥ 0.95 V], compared to the highest reported performance (PCE = 6.3% and VOC = 0.70) based on similar isoindigo-containing polymers. Taken together, the synthesis, processing, and device performances of PS-containing copolymers represent a new approach in molecular engineering to achieve a balance between the optical/electronic properties and solubility/processability of reproducible polymeric systems.
Details
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 4874-4880 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Chemistry of materials |
Volume | 25 |
Issue number | 24 |
Publication status | Published - 23 Dec 2013 |
Peer-reviewed | Yes |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
Research priority areas of TU Dresden
Sustainable Development Goals
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Keywords
- bulk heterojunction, conjugated polymers, isoindigo, organic electronics, polystyrene, side-chain engineering, solar cells, solution process, thin films