Fine-tuning of the chemical structure of photoactive materials for highly efficient organic photovoltaics

Fan B, Du X, Liu F, Zhong W, Ying L, Xie R, Tang X, An K, Xin J, Li N, Ma W, Brabec C, Huang F, Cao Y (2018)

Publication Language: English

Publication Status: Published

Publication Type: Journal article, Original article

Publication year: 2018

Journal

Nature Energy Nature Publishing Group

Publisher: Nature Publishing Group

DOI: 10.1038/s41560-018-0263-4

Abstract

The performance of organic photovoltaics is largely dependent on the balance of short-circuit current density (JSC) and open-circuit voltage (VOC). For instance, the reduction of the active materials’ optical bandgap, which increases the JSC, would inevitably lead to a concomitant reduction in VOC. Here, we demonstrate that careful tuning of the chemical structure of photoactive materials can enhance both JSC and VOC simultaneously. Non-fullerene organic photovoltaics based on a well-matched materials combination exhibit a certified high power conversion efficiency of 12.25% on a device area of 1 cm2. By combining Fourier-transform photocurrent spectroscopy and electroluminescence, we show the existence of a low but non-negligible charge transfer state as the possible origin of VOC loss. This study highlights that the reduction of the bandgap to improve the efficiency requires a careful materials design to minimize non-radiative VOC losses. © 2018, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.

Authors with CRIS profile

Xiaoyan Du Institute Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET) Xiaofeng Tang Institute Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET) Ning Li Institute Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET) Christoph Brabec Institute Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET)

Involved external institutions

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) US United States (USA) (US) Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) CN China (CN) Shanghai Jiao Tong University / 上海交通大学 CN China (CN)

How to cite

APA:

Fan, B., Du, X., Liu, F., Zhong, W., Ying, L., Xie, R.,... Cao, Y. (2018). Fine-tuning of the chemical structure of photoactive materials for highly efficient organic photovoltaics. Nature Energy. https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41560-018-0263-4

MLA:

Fan, Baobing, et al. "Fine-tuning of the chemical structure of photoactive materials for highly efficient organic photovoltaics." Nature Energy (2018).

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