Negligible Energy Loss during Charge Generation in Small-Molecule/Fullerene Bulk-Heterojunction Solar Cells Leads to Open-Circuit Voltage over 1.10 v

Maxime Babics; Tainan Duan; Ahmed H. Balawi; Ru Ze Liang; Federico Cruciani; Ionela Daniela Carja; Dale Gottlieb; Iain McCulloch; Koen Vandewal; Frédéric Laquai; Pierre M. Beaujuge

doi:10.1021/acsaem.8b02020

Negligible Energy Loss during Charge Generation in Small-Molecule/Fullerene Bulk-Heterojunction Solar Cells Leads to Open-Circuit Voltage over 1.10 v

Maxime Babics, Tainan Duan^*, Ahmed H. Balawi, Ru Ze Liang, Federico Cruciani, Ionela Daniela Carja, Dale Gottlieb, Iain McCulloch, Koen Vandewal, Frédéric Laquai, Pierre M. Beaujuge

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

26 Scopus citations

Abstract

Solution-processable small molecules (SMs) that can serve as donors in bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells are practical alternatives to their polymer counterparts. However, SM-fullerene blends commonly suffer severe voltage losses. In general, devices that reach open-circuit voltages (V_OC) > 1 V yield low photocurrents in BHJ solar cells with fullerene acceptors (e.g., PC₇₁BM) and modest power conversion efficiencies (PCEs). In this contribution, we report on the design, synthesis, and BHJ device characteristics of a new SM donor, 2F-DRCN5T, yielding a V_OC of up to 1.10 V with PC₇₁BM as the fullerene acceptor, while maintaining PCEs > 7% (over 8% achieved upon solvent-vapor-annealing (SVA) treatment). The negligible energy loss during charge generation (ΔE_CT), the deep-lying HOMO of 2F-DRCN5T inferred from its large ionization potential (IP), the high charge-transfer-state energy (E_CT) of the blend, and a reduced nonradiative voltage loss account for the high V_OC achieved in BHJ solar cells.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	2717-2722
Number of pages	6
Journal	ACS Applied Energy Materials
Volume	2
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaem.8b02020
State	Published - Apr 22 2019

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This publication is based upon work supported by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) under Award CRG-R2-13-BEAU-KAUST-1. The authors acknowledge concurrent support under Baseline Research Funding from KAUST. T.D. acknowledges financial support from National Natural Science Foundation of China (21702202).

Funding Information:
This publication is based upon work supported by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) under Award CRG_R2_13_BEAU_KAUST_1. The authors acknowledge concurrent support under Baseline Research Funding from KAUST. T.D. acknowledges financial support from National Natural Science Foundation of China (21702202).

Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 American Chemical Society.

Keywords

fluorination
high open-circuit voltage
low energy loss
oligothiophene
organic photovoltaics
small-molecule donor

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Chemical Engineering (miscellaneous)
Energy Engineering and Power Technology
Electrochemistry
Materials Chemistry
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Access to Document

10.1021/acsaem.8b02020

Cite this

Babics, M., Duan, T., Balawi, A. H., Liang, R. Z., Cruciani, F., Carja, I. D., Gottlieb, D., McCulloch, I., Vandewal, K., Laquai, F., & Beaujuge, P. M. (2019). Negligible Energy Loss during Charge Generation in Small-Molecule/Fullerene Bulk-Heterojunction Solar Cells Leads to Open-Circuit Voltage over 1.10 v. ACS Applied Energy Materials, 2(4), 2717-2722. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaem.8b02020

@article{96fe1af335e947b0a49949d2d522a111,

title = "Negligible Energy Loss during Charge Generation in Small-Molecule/Fullerene Bulk-Heterojunction Solar Cells Leads to Open-Circuit Voltage over 1.10 v",

abstract = "Solution-processable small molecules (SMs) that can serve as donors in bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells are practical alternatives to their polymer counterparts. However, SM-fullerene blends commonly suffer severe voltage losses. In general, devices that reach open-circuit voltages (VOC) > 1 V yield low photocurrents in BHJ solar cells with fullerene acceptors (e.g., PC71BM) and modest power conversion efficiencies (PCEs). In this contribution, we report on the design, synthesis, and BHJ device characteristics of a new SM donor, 2F-DRCN5T, yielding a VOC of up to 1.10 V with PC71BM as the fullerene acceptor, while maintaining PCEs > 7% (over 8% achieved upon solvent-vapor-annealing (SVA) treatment). The negligible energy loss during charge generation (ΔECT), the deep-lying HOMO of 2F-DRCN5T inferred from its large ionization potential (IP), the high charge-transfer-state energy (ECT) of the blend, and a reduced nonradiative voltage loss account for the high VOC achieved in BHJ solar cells.",

keywords = "fluorination, high open-circuit voltage, low energy loss, oligothiophene, organic photovoltaics, small-molecule donor",

author = "Maxime Babics and Tainan Duan and Balawi, {Ahmed H.} and Liang, {Ru Ze} and Federico Cruciani and Carja, {Ionela Daniela} and Dale Gottlieb and Iain McCulloch and Koen Vandewal and Fr{\'e}d{\'e}ric Laquai and Beaujuge, {Pierre M.}",

note = "Funding Information: This publication is based upon work supported by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) under Award CRG-R2-13-BEAU-KAUST-1. The authors acknowledge concurrent support under Baseline Research Funding from KAUST. T.D. acknowledges financial support from National Natural Science Foundation of China (21702202). Funding Information: This publication is based upon work supported by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) under Award CRG_R2_13_BEAU_KAUST_1. The authors acknowledge concurrent support under Baseline Research Funding from KAUST. T.D. acknowledges financial support from National Natural Science Foundation of China (21702202). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019 American Chemical Society.",

year = "2019",

month = apr,

day = "22",

doi = "10.1021/acsaem.8b02020",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "2",

pages = "2717--2722",

journal = "ACS Applied Energy Materials",

issn = "2574-0962",

publisher = "American Chemical Society",

number = "4",

}

Babics, M, Duan, T, Balawi, AH, Liang, RZ, Cruciani, F, Carja, ID, Gottlieb, D, McCulloch, I, Vandewal, K, Laquai, F & Beaujuge, PM 2019, 'Negligible Energy Loss during Charge Generation in Small-Molecule/Fullerene Bulk-Heterojunction Solar Cells Leads to Open-Circuit Voltage over 1.10 v', ACS Applied Energy Materials, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 2717-2722. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaem.8b02020

TY - JOUR

T1 - Negligible Energy Loss during Charge Generation in Small-Molecule/Fullerene Bulk-Heterojunction Solar Cells Leads to Open-Circuit Voltage over 1.10 v

AU - Babics, Maxime

AU - Duan, Tainan

AU - Balawi, Ahmed H.

AU - Liang, Ru Ze

AU - Cruciani, Federico

AU - Carja, Ionela Daniela

AU - Gottlieb, Dale

AU - McCulloch, Iain

AU - Vandewal, Koen

AU - Laquai, Frédéric

AU - Beaujuge, Pierre M.

N1 - Funding Information: This publication is based upon work supported by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) under Award CRG-R2-13-BEAU-KAUST-1. The authors acknowledge concurrent support under Baseline Research Funding from KAUST. T.D. acknowledges financial support from National Natural Science Foundation of China (21702202). Funding Information: This publication is based upon work supported by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) under Award CRG_R2_13_BEAU_KAUST_1. The authors acknowledge concurrent support under Baseline Research Funding from KAUST. T.D. acknowledges financial support from National Natural Science Foundation of China (21702202). Publisher Copyright: © 2019 American Chemical Society.

PY - 2019/4/22

Y1 - 2019/4/22

N2 - Solution-processable small molecules (SMs) that can serve as donors in bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells are practical alternatives to their polymer counterparts. However, SM-fullerene blends commonly suffer severe voltage losses. In general, devices that reach open-circuit voltages (VOC) > 1 V yield low photocurrents in BHJ solar cells with fullerene acceptors (e.g., PC71BM) and modest power conversion efficiencies (PCEs). In this contribution, we report on the design, synthesis, and BHJ device characteristics of a new SM donor, 2F-DRCN5T, yielding a VOC of up to 1.10 V with PC71BM as the fullerene acceptor, while maintaining PCEs > 7% (over 8% achieved upon solvent-vapor-annealing (SVA) treatment). The negligible energy loss during charge generation (ΔECT), the deep-lying HOMO of 2F-DRCN5T inferred from its large ionization potential (IP), the high charge-transfer-state energy (ECT) of the blend, and a reduced nonradiative voltage loss account for the high VOC achieved in BHJ solar cells.

AB - Solution-processable small molecules (SMs) that can serve as donors in bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells are practical alternatives to their polymer counterparts. However, SM-fullerene blends commonly suffer severe voltage losses. In general, devices that reach open-circuit voltages (VOC) > 1 V yield low photocurrents in BHJ solar cells with fullerene acceptors (e.g., PC71BM) and modest power conversion efficiencies (PCEs). In this contribution, we report on the design, synthesis, and BHJ device characteristics of a new SM donor, 2F-DRCN5T, yielding a VOC of up to 1.10 V with PC71BM as the fullerene acceptor, while maintaining PCEs > 7% (over 8% achieved upon solvent-vapor-annealing (SVA) treatment). The negligible energy loss during charge generation (ΔECT), the deep-lying HOMO of 2F-DRCN5T inferred from its large ionization potential (IP), the high charge-transfer-state energy (ECT) of the blend, and a reduced nonradiative voltage loss account for the high VOC achieved in BHJ solar cells.

KW - fluorination

KW - high open-circuit voltage

KW - low energy loss

KW - oligothiophene

KW - organic photovoltaics

KW - small-molecule donor

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85064843360&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1021/acsaem.8b02020

DO - 10.1021/acsaem.8b02020

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85064843360

SN - 2574-0962

VL - 2

SP - 2717

EP - 2722

JO - ACS Applied Energy Materials

JF - ACS Applied Energy Materials

IS - 4

ER -

Negligible Energy Loss during Charge Generation in Small-Molecule/Fullerene Bulk-Heterojunction Solar Cells Leads to Open-Circuit Voltage over 1.10 v

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this