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
Accepted manuscript online:

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]	Tuning the particle size, physical properties, and photocatalytic activity of Ag₃PO₄ materials by changing the Ag⁺/PO₄^3- ratio Hung N M, Oanh L T M, Chung D P, Thang D V, Mai V T, Hang L T, and Minh N V. Chin. Phys. B, 2023, 32(3): 038102.
[2]	Surface structure modification of ReSe₂ nanosheets via carbon ion irradiation Mei Qiao(乔梅), Tie-Jun Wang(王铁军), Yong Liu(刘泳), Tao Liu(刘涛), Shan Liu(刘珊), and Shi-Cai Xu(许士才). Chin. Phys. B, 2023, 32(2): 026101.
[3]	Migration and shape of cells on different interfaces Xiaochen Wang(王晓晨), Qihui Fan (樊琪慧), and Fangfu Ye(叶方富). Chin. Phys. B, 2021, 30(9): 090502.
[4]	Controllable preparation and disorder-dependent photoluminescence of morphologically different C₆₀ microcrystals Wen Cui(崔雯), De-Jun Li(李德军), Jin-Liang Guo(郭金良), Lang-Huan Zhao(赵琅嬛), Bing-Bing Liu(刘冰冰), and Shi-Shuai Sun(孙士帅). Chin. Phys. B, 2021, 30(8): 086101.
[5]	Formation of nano-twinned 3C-SiC grains in Fe-implanted 6H-SiC after 1500-℃ annealing Zheng Han(韩铮), Xu Wang(王旭), Jiao Wang(王娇), Qing Liao(廖庆), and Bingsheng Li(李炳生). Chin. Phys. B, 2021, 30(8): 086107.
[6]	Bilayer twisting as a mean to isolate connected flat bands in a kagome lattice through Wigner crystallization Jing Wu(吴静), Yue-E Xie(谢月娥), Ming-Xing Chen(陈明星), Jia-Ren Yuan(袁加仁), Xiao-Hong Yan(颜晓红), Sheng-Bai Zhang(张绳百), and Yuan-Ping Chen(陈元平). Chin. Phys. B, 2021, 30(7): 077104.
[7]	Laser-induced thermal lens study of the role of morphology and hydroxyl group in the evolution of thermal diffusivity of copper oxide Riya Sebastian, M S Swapna, Vimal Raj, and S Sankararaman. Chin. Phys. B, 2021, 30(6): 067801.
[8]	Understanding the synergistic effect of mixed solvent annealing on perovskite film formation Kun Qian(钱昆), Yu Li(李渝), Jingnan Song(宋静楠), Jazib Ali, Ming Zhang(张明), Lei Zhu(朱磊), Hong Ding(丁虹), Junzhe Zhan(詹俊哲), and Wei Feng(冯威). Chin. Phys. B, 2021, 30(6): 068103.
[9]	Water and nutrient recovery from urine: A lead up trail using nano-structured In₂S₃ photo electrodes R Jayakrishnan, T R Sreerev, and Adith Varma. Chin. Phys. B, 2021, 30(5): 056103.
[10]	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.
[11]	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.
[12]	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.
[13]	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.
[14]	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.
[15]	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.

No Suggested Reading articles found!

Viewed

Full text

Abstract

Cited

Metrics
Related Articles

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

Cite this article:

Online attention