From fullerene acceptors to non-fullerene acceptors: Prospects and challenges in the stability of organic solar cells

Speller EM, Clarke AJ, Luke J, Lee HKH, Durrant JR, Li N, Wang T, Wong HC, Kim JS, Tsoi WC, Li Z (2019)

Publication Type: Journal article, Review article

Publication year: 2019

Journal

Journal of Materials Chemistry A Royal Society of Chemistry

Book Volume: 7

Pages Range: 23361-23377

Journal Issue: 41

DOI: 10.1039/c9ta05235f

Abstract

The recent emergence of non-fullerene small molecule acceptors has reinvigorated the field of organic solar cells, already resulting in significant breakthroughs in their power conversion efficiency and discovery of remarkable new science. The stability and degradation of this class of materials and devices, on the other hand, has to date received relatively less attention. Herein, we present a critical review into the fundamentally different degradation mechanisms of non-fullerene acceptors compared to fullerene acceptors, as well as the very different roles they play upon the charge carrier generation and recombination kinetics and the resulting solar cell stability. We highlight in particular the prospect of the emergence of non-fullerene acceptors in addressing several major degradation mechanisms related to the use of fullerene acceptors, in conjunction with a number of unique degradation mechanisms that only exist in non-fullerene acceptors, which would provide an important guideline for further developments toward achieving long-term stability of organic solar cells.

Authors with CRIS profile

Ning Li Institute Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET)

Involved external institutions

Swansea University GB United Kingdom (GB) Imperial College London / The Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine GB United Kingdom (GB) Wuhan University of Technology CN China (CN) Singapore University of Technology and Design SG Singapore (SG) Cardiff University GB United Kingdom (GB)

How to cite

APA:

Speller, E.M., Clarke, A.J., Luke, J., Lee, H.K.H., Durrant, J.R., Li, N.,... Li, Z. (2019). From fullerene acceptors to non-fullerene acceptors: Prospects and challenges in the stability of organic solar cells. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 7(41), 23361-23377. https://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c9ta05235f

MLA:

Speller, Emily M., et al. "From fullerene acceptors to non-fullerene acceptors: Prospects and challenges in the stability of organic solar cells." Journal of Materials Chemistry A 7.41 (2019): 23361-23377.

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