A Synergistic Strategy of Manipulating the Number of Selenophene Units and Dissymmetric Central Core of Small Molecular Acceptors Enables Polymer Solar Cells with 17.5 % Efficiency

Can Yang, Qiaoshi An, Hai Rui Bai, Hong Fu Zhi, Hwa Sook Ryu, Asif Mahmood, Xin Zhao, Shaowen Zhang, Han Young Woo, Jin Liang Wang

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

76 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A dissymmetric backbone and selenophene substitution on the central core was used for the synthesis of symmetric or dissymmetric A-DA′D-A type non-fullerene small molecular acceptors (NF-SMAs) with different numbers of selenophene. From S-YSS-Cl to A-WSSe-Cl and to S-WSeSe-Cl, a gradually red-shifted absorption and a gradually larger electron mobility and crystallinity in neat thin film was observed. A-WSSe-Cl and S-WSeSe-Cl exhibit stronger and tighter intermolecular π–π stacking interactions, extra S⋅⋅⋅N non-covalent intermolecular interactions from central benzothiadiazole, better ordered 3D interpenetrating charge-transfer networks in comparison with thiophene-based S-YSS-Cl. The dissymmetric A-WSSe-Cl-based device has a PCE of 17.51 %, which is the highest value for selenophene-based NF-SMAs in binary polymer solar cells. The combination of dissymmetric core and precise replacement of selenophene on the central core is effective to improve Jsc and FF without sacrificing Voc.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)19241-19252
Number of pages12
JournalAngewandte Chemie - International Edition
Volume60
Issue number35
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021 Aug 23

Keywords

  • central core engineering
  • dissymmetric strategy
  • polymer solar cells
  • selenophene substitution
  • small molecular acceptors

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Catalysis
  • Chemistry(all)

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