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Improving photovoltaic performance of benzothiadiazole-based small molecules: A synergistic effect of non-covalent interaction and aryl terminal group

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 September 2020

Qian Liu ,
Jiyong Deng ,
Dong Yan ,
Xianwei Huang ,
Yunfeng Liao  and
Qiang Tao
Qian Liu
Affiliation:
Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis & Waste Recycling, School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Institute of Engineering, Xiangtan411104, China
Jiyong Deng*
Affiliation:
Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis & Waste Recycling, School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Institute of Engineering, Xiangtan411104, China
Dong Yan
Affiliation:
Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis & Waste Recycling, School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Institute of Engineering, Xiangtan411104, China
Xianwei Huang
Affiliation:
Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis & Waste Recycling, School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Institute of Engineering, Xiangtan411104, China
Yunfeng Liao
Affiliation:
Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis & Waste Recycling, School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Institute of Engineering, Xiangtan411104, China
Qiang Tao*
Affiliation:
Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis & Waste Recycling, School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Institute of Engineering, Xiangtan411104, China
*
a)Address all correspondence to these authors. e-mail: djyong@yeah.net
b)e-mail: qiangt_211@163.com
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Abstract

A–Ar–A-type small molecule (SM) of Py-2DTOBT and Py-2DTOBTPh with an Ar(A–D)2 framework were synthesized, in which 2,7-pyrene (Py) and alkoxyl-substituted benzothiadiazole (OBT) were, respectively, used as the central aryl (Ar) and arm acceptor (A), while 3-phenanthrene (Ph) was used as a terminal donor (D) in Py-2DTOBTPh. By comparison with the parent SM of Py-2DTBT, where 2,7-pyrene (Py) and benzothiadiazole (BT) were used as the central aryl (Ar) and arm acceptor (A), the effects of non-covalent interactions and the terminal group on optical, electrochemical, and photovoltaic properties were investigated. The gradually improved photovoltaic performances were observed among Py-2DTBT, Py-2DTOBT, and Py-2DTOBTPh based organic solar cells. A power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 2.83% was obtained in the Py-2DTOBTPh/PC71BM-based device, which is a 53% improvement related to that of Py-2DTOBT and three times enhanced related to that of Py-2DTBT(Py-2DTOBT:PCE of 1.86%, Py-2DTBT:PCE of 0.74%).

Keywords

Ar(A–D)2 small moleculesnon-covalent interactionterminal donor unitphotovoltaic performancesorganic solar cells
Type
Article
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 35 , Issue 21 , 16 November 2020 , pp. 2967 - 2975
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020, published on behalf of Materials Research Society by Cambridge University Press

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