New 3,3'-(ethane-1, 2-diylidene)bis(indolin-2-one) (EBI)-based small molecule semiconductors for organic solar cells
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
A series of new donor–acceptor–donor (D–A–D) small-molecule compounds, with 3,3′-(ethane-1,2-diylidene)bis(indolin-2-one) (EBI) as an electron acceptor building block coupled with various electron donor end-capping moieties (thiophene, bithiophene and benzofuran), were synthesized and characterized. When the fused-ring benzofuran is combined to EBI (EBI-BF), the molecules displayed a perfectly planar conformation and afforded the best charge transport properties among these EBI compounds with a hole mobility of up to 0.02 cm2 V−1 s−1. All EBI-based small molecules were used as donor material along with a PC61BM acceptor for the fabrication of solution-processed bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells. The best performing photovoltaic devices are based on the EBI derivative using the bithiophene end-capping moiety (EBI-2T) with a maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 1.92%, owing to the broad absorption spectra of EBI-2T and the appropriate morphology of the BHJ. With the aim of establishing a correlation between the molecular structure and the thin film morphology, differential scanning calorimetry, atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis were performed on neat and blend films of each material.
Date Issued
2017-05-04
Date Acceptance
2017-04-28
Citation
Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 2017, 5, pp.5143-5153
ISSN
2050-7534
Publisher
Royal Society of Chemistry
Start Page
5143
End Page
5153
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Materials Chemistry C
Volume
5
Copyright Statement
© The Royal Society of Chemistry 2017
Sponsor
Commission of the European Communities
Commission of the European Communities
Grant Number
654682
654682
Subjects
Science & Technology
Technology
Physical Sciences
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Physics, Applied
Materials Science
Physics
FIELD-EFFECT TRANSISTORS
THICK ACTIVE LAYERS
CONVERSION EFFICIENCY
CONJUGATED POLYMERS
DEVICE PERFORMANCE
SOLVENT ADDITIVES
ISOINDIGO
DONOR
10-PERCENT
COPOLYMERS
cond-mat.mtrl-sci
Publication Status
Published