Pyran-Bridged Indacenodithiophene as a Building Block for Constructing Efficient A-D-A-Type Nonfullerene Acceptors for Polymer Solar Cells

ChemSusChem. 2018 Jan 23;11(2):360-366. doi: 10.1002/cssc.201701917. Epub 2017 Dec 19.

Abstract

In recent years, nonfullerene acceptors have attracted much attention, owing to their great potential for use in high-performance polymer solar cells.The ladder-type building block, pyran-bridged indacenodithiophene (PDT), was used for constructing A-D-A nonfullerene acceptors through introduction of oxygen atoms into an indacenodithiophene (IDT) unit. The synthesis of PDT is accomplished by a BBr3 -mediated tandem cyclization-deprotection reaction to construct the pyran ring. Hence, molecular acceptor PTIC was synthesized and used in a polymer solar cell device. Compared to the IDT-based acceptor, PTIC exhibits higher HOMO levels and wider optical band gap at 550-800 nm. Devices fabricated with poly[(2,6-(4,8-bis(5-(2-ethylhexyl)thiophen-2-yl)benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene)-co-(1,3-di(5-thiophene-2-yl)-5,7-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-benzo[1,2-c:4,5-c']dithiophene-4,8-dione)] (PBDB-T):PTIC as the active layer give a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 7.66 %.

Keywords: donor-acceptor systems; heterocycles; polymers; solar cells; structure-activity relationships.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Cyclization
  • Electric Power Supplies*
  • Equipment Design
  • Fullerenes / chemistry*
  • Microscopy, Atomic Force
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Optical Phenomena
  • Polymers / chemistry*
  • Pyrans / chemistry*
  • Solar Energy*
  • Thermogravimetry
  • Thiophenes / chemical synthesis
  • Thiophenes / chemistry*

Substances

  • Fullerenes
  • Polymers
  • Pyrans
  • Thiophenes