Highly efficient and reproducible nonfullerene solar cells from hydrocarbon solvents
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
With chlorinated solvents unlikely to be permitted for use in solution-processed organic solar cells in industry, there must be a focus on developing nonchlorinated solvent systems. Here we report high-efficiency devices utilizing a low-bandgap donor polymer (PffBT4T-2DT) and a nonfullerene acceptor (EH-IDTBR) from hydrocarbon solvents and without using additives. When mesitylene was used as the solvent, rather than chlorobenzene, an improved power conversion efficiency (11.1%) was achieved without the need for pre- or post-treatments. Despite altering the processing conditions to environmentally friendly solvents and room-temperature coating, grazing incident X-ray measurements confirmed that active layers processed from hydrocarbon solvents retained the robust nanomorphology obtained with hot-processed chlorinated solvents. The main advantages of hydrocarbon solvent-processed devices, besides the improved efficiencies, were the reproducibility and storage lifetime of devices. Mesitylene devices showed better reproducibility and shelf life up to 4000 h with PCE dropping by only 8% of its initial value.
Date Issued
2017-06-01
Date Acceptance
2017-06-01
Citation
ACS Energy Letters, 2017, 2 (7), pp.1494-1500
ISSN
2380-8195
Publisher
American Chemical Society
Start Page
1494
End Page
1500
Journal / Book Title
ACS Energy Letters
Volume
2
Issue
7
Copyright Statement
© 2017 American Chemical Society
Sponsor
Commission of the European Communities
Commission of the European Communities
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000405979900004&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Grant Number
610115
643791
EP/G037515/1
EP/L016702/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Technology
Chemistry, Physical
Electrochemistry
Energy & Fuels
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Chemistry
Science & Technology - Other Topics
Materials Science
ORGANIC PHOTOVOLTAICS
CONJUGATED POLYMERS
BANDGAP POLYMER
ACCEPTOR
MORPHOLOGY
STABILITY
CAST
GAP
DEGRADATION
FABRICATION
Publication Status
Published