Benzothiadiazole Versus Thiophene: Influence of the Auxiliary Acceptor on the Photovoltaic Properties of Donor-Acceptor-Based Copolymers

Macromol Rapid Commun. 2018 Jan;39(2). doi: 10.1002/marc.201700547. Epub 2017 Oct 25.

Abstract

Two donor-acceptor (D-A) type conjugated copolymers, P1 and P2, are designed and synthesized. A classical benzothiadiazole acceptor is used to replace a thiophene unit in the polymer chain of P1 to obtain P2 terpolymer. Compared with P1, P2 exhibits broader absorption spectra, higher absorption coefficient, deeper lowest unoccupied molecular orbital level, and a relatively lower band gap. As a result, the P2-based solar cell exhibits a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 6.60%, with a short-circuit current (J sc ) of 12.43 mA cm-2 , and a fill factor (FF) of 73.1%, which are higher than those of the P1-based device with a PCE of 4.70%, a J sc of 9.43 mA cm-2 , and an FF of 61.6%.

Keywords: benzothiadiazole; organic solar cells; power conversion efficiency; terpolymers.

MeSH terms

  • Electric Power Supplies*
  • Photochemical Processes
  • Polymers / chemical synthesis
  • Polymers / chemistry*
  • Solar Energy*
  • Thiadiazoles / chemistry*
  • Thiophenes / chemistry*

Substances

  • Polymers
  • Thiadiazoles
  • Thiophenes
  • benzo-1,2,3-thiadiazole