Exploring alkylthiol additives in PBDB-T:ITIC blended active layers for solar cell applications

doi:10.1088/1674-1056/28/8/088802

Abstract

Bulk heterojunction, non-fullerene PBDB-T:ITIC blend polymer solar cells have been fabricated. The active layers consisting of PBDB-T as a donor and ITIC as an acceptor are optimized using a series of alkylthiol additives (1,3-propanedithiol, 1,4-butanedithiol, and 1,8-octanedithiol). It is found that the donor and acceptor are phase separated with different crystalline domains. The additives effectively re-organize the morphology and extend the molecule ordering in lamellar structure with increased correlation length in ITIC domain, benefiting the generation and dissociation of exciton and reducing charge recombination. A substantial improvement in power conversion efficiency of the devices from 8.13% to 9.44% is observed. This study shows that the application of alkylthiol additives is a simple and effective approach to improve the device performance in solar cells based on polymer/non-fullerene blend system.

Keywords: bulk heterojunction (BHJ) polymer/non-fullerene solar cells solvent additive morphology crystallization

Received: 09 April 2019
Revised: 21 May 2019
Published: 05 August 2019

PACS:	88.40.jr	(Organic photovoltaics)
	78.55.-m	(Photoluminescence, properties and materials)
	61.05.C-	(X-ray diffraction and scattering)
	73.50.Gr	(Charge carriers: generation, recombination, lifetime, trapping, mean free paths)

Fund:

Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11474017, 61574014, and 61874008).

Corresponding Authors: Zhiqun He
E-mail: zhqhe@bjtu.edu.cn

Cite this article:

Xiang Li(李想), Zhiqun He(何志群), Mengjie Sun(孙盟杰), Huimin Zhang(张慧敏), Zebang Guo(郭泽邦), Yajun Xu(许亚军), Han Li(李瀚), Chunjun Liang(梁春军), Xiping Jing(荆西平) Exploring alkylthiol additives in PBDB-T:ITIC blended active layers for solar cell applications 2019 Chin. Phys. B 28 088802

[35]	Peet J, Kim J Y, Coates N E, Ma W L, Moses D, Heeger A J and Bazan G C 2007 Nat. Mater. 6 497
[36]	Wienk M M, Turbiez M, Gilot J and Janssen R A J 2008 Adv. Mater. 20 2556
[1]	Li Z K, Jiang K, Yang G F, Lai J Y L, Ma T X, Zhao J B, Ma W and Yan H 2016 Nat. Commun. 7 13094
[37]	Peet J, Soci C, Coffin R C, Nguyen T Q, Mikhailovsky A, Moses D and Bazan G C 2006 Appl. Phys. Lett. 89 252105
[2]	Loutfy R O, Sharp J H, Hsiao C K and Ho R 1981 J. Appl. Phys. 52 5218
[38]	Sun Y, Seo J H, Takacs C J, Seifter J and Heeger A J 2011 Adv. Mater. 23 1679
[3]	Günes S, Neugebauer H and Sariciftci N S 2007 Chem. Rev. 107 1324
[39]	Guo Z B, He Z Q, Sun M J, Zhang H M, Xu Y J, Li X, Liang C J and Jing X P 2018 Polymer 153 398
[4]	Waldauf C, Schilinsky P, Hauch J and Brabec C J 2004 Thin Solid Films 451-452 503
[40]	Wang B, Fu Y, Yan C, Zhang R, Yang Q, Han Y and Xie Z 2018 Front. Chem. 6 198
[5]	Wöhrle D and Meissner D 1991 Adv. Mater. 3 129
[41]	He Z, Davis F J, Olley R H and Mitchell G R 2001 Polymer 42 5351
[6]	Yu G, Gao J, Hummelen J C, Wudl F and Heeger A J 1995 Science 270 1789
[42]	Mitchell G R and Windle A H 1982 Polymer 23 1269
[7]	Liu Y H, Zhao J B, Li Z K, Mu C, Ma W, Hu H W, Jiang K, Lin H R, Ade H and Yan H 2014 Nat. Commun. 5 5293
[43]	Peng Y, He Z Q, Li H and Liang C J 2016 Polymer 98 61
[8]	He Z C, Xiao B, Liu F, Wu H B, Yang Y L, Xiao S, Wang C, Russell T P and Cao Y 2015 Nat. Photon. 9 174
[44]	Rogers J T, Schmidt K, Toney M F, Kramer E J and Bazan G C 2011 Adv. Mater. 23 2284
[9]	Wan L J 2011 PCCP 13 1923
[45]	Ren G, Ahmed E and Jenekhe S A 2011 Adv. Energy. Mater. 1 946
[10]	Boudreault P L T, Michaud A and Leclerc M 2007 Macromol. Rapid Commun. 28 2176
[46]	Wang X P, He Z Q, Liang C J, Qiu H A and Jing X P 2015 Chin. Phys. B 24 63301
[11]	Wu Y, Yang H, Zou Y, Dong Y Y, Yuan J Y, Cui C H and Li Y F 2019 Energ. Environ. Sci. 12 675
[47]	Lu L, Xu T, Chen W, Landry E S and Yu L 2014 Nat. Photon. 8 716
[12]	Ameri T, Dennler G, Lungenschmied C and Brabec C J 2009 Energ. Environ. Sci. 2 347
[48]	Dimitrov S D, Nielsen C B, Shoaee S, Shakya Tuladhar P, Du J, Mcculloch I and Durrant J R 2012 J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 3 140
[13]	Zuo L, Chueh C C, Xu Y X, Chen K S, Zang Y, Li C Z, Chen H and Jen A K Y 2014 Adv. Mater. 26 6778
[49]	Mihailetchi V D, Koster L J A, Hummelen J C and Blom P W M 2004 Phys. Rev. Lett. 93 216601
[14]	Gevaerts V S, Furlan A, Wienk M M, Turbiez M and Janssen R A J 2012 Adv. Mater. 24 2130
[50]	Mihailetchi V D, Wildeman J and Blom P W M 2005 Phys. Rev. Lett. 94 126602
[15]	You J B, Dou L T, Yoshimura K, Kato T, Ohya K, Moriarty T, Emery K, Chen C C, Gao J, Li G and Yang Y 2013 Nat. Commun. 4 1446
[16]	Chen F C and Chien S C 2009 J. Mater. Chem. 19 6865
[17]	Gao H L, Zhang X W, Meng J H, Yin Z G, Zhang L Q, Wu J L and Liu X 2015 Thin Solid Films 576 81
[18]	Yao Y, Hou J H, Xu Z, Li G and Yang Y 2008 Adv. Funct. Mater. 18 1783
[19]	Bing C W, Xu Zong Xiang, Li Kai, Chui Stephen Sin Yin, L R V A, To L P and Ming C C 2012 Chin. Phys. B 21 78401
[20]	Lin Y, Zhao F, He Q, Huo L, Wu Y, Parker T C, Ma W, Sun Y, Wang C, Zhu D, Heeger A J, Marder S R and Zhan X 2016 J. Am. Chem. Soc. 138 4955
[21]	Lin Y, Wang J, Zhang Z G, Bai H, Li Y, Zhu D and Zhan X 2015 Adv. Mater. 27 1170
[22]	Zhao W, Zhang S and Hou J 2016 Sci. Chin. Chem. 59 1574
[23]	Yuan J, Zhang Y Q, Zhou L Y, Zhang G C, Yip H L, Lau T K, Lu X H, Zhu C, Peng H J, Johnson P A, Leclerc M, Cao Y, Ulanski J, Li Y F and Zou Y P 2019 Joule 3 1140
[24]	Meng L X, Zhang Y M, Wan X J, Li C X, Zhang X, Wang Y B, Ke X, Xiao Z, Ding L M, Xia R X, Yip H L, Cao Y and Chen Y S 2018 Science 361 1094
[25]	Dittmer J J, Marseglia E A and Friend R H 2000 Adv. Mater. 12 1270
[26]	Park J K, Jo J, Seo J H, Moon J S, Park Y D, Lee K, Heeger A J and Bazan G C 2011 Adv. Mater. 23 2430
[27]	Ma W, Yang C, Gong X, Lee K and Heeger A J 2005 Adv. Funct. Mater. 15 1617
[28]	Liu Y, Zhang F, Dai H, Tang W, Wang Z, Wang J, Tang A, Peng H, Xu Z and Wang Y 2013 Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 118 135
[29]	Yang X, Loos J, Veenstra S C, Verhees W J H, Wienk M M, Kroon J M, Michels M A J and Janssen R A J 2005 Nano Lett. 5 579
[30]	Mihailetchi V D, Xie H, De Boer B, Popescu L M, Hummelen J C, Blom P W M and Koster L J A 2006 Appl. Phys. Lett. 89 012107
[31]	Li G, Shrotriya V, Huang J, Yao Y, Moriarty T, Emery K and Yang Y 2005 Nat. Mater. 4 864
[32]	Amb C M, Chen S, Graham K R, Subbiah J, Small C E, So F and Reynolds J R 2011 J. Am. Chem. Soc. 133 10062
[33]	Li W, Roelofs W S C, Wienk M M and Janssen R A J 2012 J. Am. Chem. Soc. 134 13787
[34]	Lou S J, Szarko J M, Xu T, Yu L, Marks T J and Chen L X 2011 J. Am. Chem. Soc. 133 20661
[35]	Peet J, Kim J Y, Coates N E, Ma W L, Moses D, Heeger A J and Bazan G C 2007 Nat. Mater. 6 497
[36]	Wienk M M, Turbiez M, Gilot J and Janssen R A J 2008 Adv. Mater. 20 2556
[37]	Peet J, Soci C, Coffin R C, Nguyen T Q, Mikhailovsky A, Moses D and Bazan G C 2006 Appl. Phys. Lett. 89 252105
[38]	Sun Y, Seo J H, Takacs C J, Seifter J and Heeger A J 2011 Adv. Mater. 23 1679
[39]	Guo Z B, He Z Q, Sun M J, Zhang H M, Xu Y J, Li X, Liang C J and Jing X P 2018 Polymer 153 398
[40]	Wang B, Fu Y, Yan C, Zhang R, Yang Q, Han Y and Xie Z 2018 Front. Chem. 6 198
[41]	He Z, Davis F J, Olley R H and Mitchell G R 2001 Polymer 42 5351
[42]	Mitchell G R and Windle A H 1982 Polymer 23 1269
[43]	Peng Y, He Z Q, Li H and Liang C J 2016 Polymer 98 61
[44]	Rogers J T, Schmidt K, Toney M F, Kramer E J and Bazan G C 2011 Adv. Mater. 23 2284
[45]	Ren G, Ahmed E and Jenekhe S A 2011 Adv. Energy. Mater. 1 946
[46]	Wang X P, He Z Q, Liang C J, Qiu H A and Jing X P 2015 Chin. Phys. B 24 63301
[47]	Lu L, Xu T, Chen W, Landry E S and Yu L 2014 Nat. Photon. 8 716
[48]	Dimitrov S D, Nielsen C B, Shoaee S, Shakya Tuladhar P, Du J, Mcculloch I and Durrant J R 2012 J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 3 140
[49]	Mihailetchi V D, Koster L J A, Hummelen J C and Blom P W M 2004 Phys. Rev. Lett. 93 216601
[50]	Mihailetchi V D, Wildeman J and Blom P W M 2005 Phys. Rev. Lett. 94 126602

[1]	Close-coupled nozzle atomization integral simulation and powder preparation using vacuum induction gas atomization technology Peng Wang(汪鹏), Jing Li(李静), Xin Wang(王欣), Heng-San Liu(刘恒三), Bin Fan(范斌), Ping Gan(甘萍), Rui-Feng Guo(郭瑞峰), Xue-Yuan Ge(葛学元), and Miao-Hui Wang(王淼辉). Chin. Phys. B, 2021, 30(2): 027502.
[2]	Multi-phase-field simulation of austenite peritectic solidification based on a ferrite grain Chao Yang(杨超), Jing Wang(王静), Junsheng Wang(王俊升), Yu Liu(刘瑜), Guomin Han(韩国民), Haifeng Song(宋海峰), and Houbing Huang(黄厚兵). Chin. Phys. B, 2021, 30(1): 018201.
[3]	Role of Ag microalloying on glass forming ability and crystallization kinetics of ZrCoAgAlNi amorphous alloy A Surendar, K Geetha, C Rajan, and M Alaazim. Chin. Phys. B, 2021, 30(1): 017201.
[4]	Crystallization and characteristics of {100}-oriented diamond with CH₄N₂S additive under high pressure and high temperature Yong Li(李勇), Debing Tan(谭德斌), Qiang Wang(王强), Zhengguo Xiao(肖政国), Changhai Tian(田昌海), Lin Chen(陈琳). Chin. Phys. B, 2020, 29(9): 098103.
[5]	Comparison of cavities and extended defects formed in helium-implanted 6H-SiC at room temperature and 750 ℃ Qing Liao(廖庆), Bingsheng Li(李炳生), Long Kang(康龙), Xiaogang Li(李小刚). Chin. Phys. B, 2020, 29(7): 076103.
[6]	SiO₂ nanoparticle-regulated crystallization of lead halide perovskite and improved efficiency of carbon-electrode-based low-temperature planar perovskite solar cells Zerong Liang(梁泽荣), Bingchu Yang(杨兵初), Anyi Mei(梅安意), Siyuan Lin(林思远), Hongwei Han(韩宏伟), Yongbo Yuan(袁永波), Haipeng Xie(谢海鹏), Yongli Gao(高永立), Conghua Zhou(周聪华). Chin. Phys. B, 2020, 29(7): 078401.
[7]	Regulation mechanism of catalyst structure on diamond crystal morphology under HPHT process Ya-Dong Li(李亚东), Yong-Shan Cheng(程永珊), Meng-Jie Su(宿梦洁), Qi-Fu Ran(冉启甫), Chun-Xiao Wang(王春晓), Hong-An Ma(马红安), Chao Fang(房超), Liang-Chao Chen(陈良超). Chin. Phys. B, 2020, 29(7): 078101.
[8]	Influence of N⁺ implantation on structure, morphology, and corrosion behavior of Al in NaCl solution Hadi Savaloni, Rezvan Karami, Helma Sadat Bahari, Fateme Abdi. Chin. Phys. B, 2020, 29(5): 058102.
[9]	Effect of initial crystallization temperature and surface diffusion on formation of GaAs multiple concentric nanoring structures by droplet epitaxy Yi Wang(王一), Xiang Guo(郭祥), Jiemin Wei(魏节敏), Chen Yang(杨晨), Zijiang Luo(罗子江), Jihong Wang(王继红), Zhao Ding(丁召). Chin. Phys. B, 2020, 29(4): 046801.
[10]	Low-temperature plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition of large area HfS₂ nanocrystal thin films Ailing Chang(常爱玲), Yichen Mao(毛亦琛), Zhiwei Huang(黄志伟), Haiyang Hong(洪海洋), Jianfang Xu(徐剑芳), Wei Huang(黄巍), Songyan Chen(陈松岩), Cheng Li(李成). Chin. Phys. B, 2020, 29(3): 038102.
[11]	Influence of Zr₅₀Cu₅₀ thin film metallic glass as buffer layer on the structural and optoelectrical properties of AZO films Bao-Qing Zhang(张宝庆), Gao-Peng Liu(刘高鹏), Hai-Tao Zong(宗海涛), Li-Ge Fu(付丽歌), Zhi-Fei Wei(魏志飞), Xiao-Wei Yang(杨晓炜), Guo-Hua Cao(曹国华). Chin. Phys. B, 2020, 29(3): 037303.
[12]	Energy stored in nanoscale water capillary bridges formed between chemically heterogeneous surfaces with circular patches Bin-Ze Tang(唐宾泽), Xue-Jia Yu(余雪佳), Sergey V. Buldyrev, Nicolas Giovambattista§, and Li-Mei Xu(徐莉梅)¶. Chin. Phys. B, 2020, 29(11): 114703.
[13]	Characterization of swift heavy ion tracks in MoS₂ by transmission electron microscopy Li-Jun Xu(徐丽君), Peng-Fei Zhai(翟鹏飞)†, Sheng-Xia Zhang(张胜霞), Jian Zeng(曾健), Pei-Pei Hu(胡培培), Zong-Zhen Li(李宗臻), Li Liu(刘丽), You-Mei Sun(孙友梅), and Jie Liu(刘杰)‡. Chin. Phys. B, 2020, 29(10): 106103.
[14]	Structural transitions in NaNH₂ via recrystallization under high pressure Yanping Huang(黄艳萍), Xiaoli Haung(黄晓丽), Xin Wang(王鑫), Wenting Zhang(张文亭), Di Zhou(周迪), Qiang Zhou(周强), Bingbing Liu(刘冰冰), Tian Cui(崔田). Chin. Phys. B, 2019, 28(9): 096402.
[15]	Thermal stability, crystallization, and magnetic properties of FeNiBCuNb alloys Zhe Chen(陈哲), Qian-Ke Zhu(朱乾科), Shu-Ling Zhang(张树玲), Ke-Wei Zhang(张克维), Yong Jiang(姜勇). Chin. Phys. B, 2019, 28(8): 087502.

No Suggested Reading articles found!

Viewed

Full text

Abstract

Cited

Shared

Discussed

Metrics
Related Articles