This thematic issue presents important research results in organic photovoltaics and consists of nine full research papers. The contributions to this issue cover a wide range of diverse aspects, such as organic solar cells, structural analysis and physicochemical properties of materials, molecular engineering, polymers composites, synthetic methods, and photovoltaic applications.
See related thematic issues:
Advances in photoredox catalysis
Photoredox catalysis for novel organic reactions
Graphical Abstract
Figure 1: Molecular structure of IC60BA and IC70BA.
Figure 2: a) Schlegel diagram of C70; b) illustrations of three regioisomers of IC70BA and their geometrical ...
Figure 3: Chromatograms of IC70BA mixture and fractions 1, 4 and 9 separated by HPLC (Cosmosil Buckyprep-D co...
Figure 4: 1H NMR spectrum of IC70BA fractions containing a major isomer species.
Figure 5: The retention time of the first species in fraction 10 is shorter than the species in fraction 11 o...
Figure 6: The UV–vis spectrum of each fraction of IC70BA as well as known C70 bisadducts: a) fraction 1, 2, 3...
Figure 7: Schematic diagram of the architecture of BHJ solar cell devices (a) and J−V curves of the devices c...
Graphical Abstract
Scheme 1: Synthesis of 3,6-Cbz-EDOT and 2,7-Cbz-EDOT by Stille polycondensation.
Figure 1: (a) Normalized UV–vis absorption of Cbz-EDOT polymers in CH2Cl2 measured at 10−5 M repeat unit−1 an...
Figure 2: Energy level diagram of PSC components including P3HT, 3,6-Cbz-EDOT, and 2,7-Cbz-EDOT.
Figure 3: (a) Current density–voltage curves and (b) incident photon to current conversion efficiency (IPCE) ...
Figure 4: Impedance spectroscopy characterization of the PSCs with different HTMs over the frequency range fr...
Graphical Abstract
Figure 1: Chemical structures of TTA-DPP4 and TTA-DPP2.
Figure 2: HOMO and LUMO distributions, calculated energy levels, and associated oscillator strengths (f) for ...
Scheme 1: Synthesis of TTA-DPP4 and TTA-DPP2.
Figure 3: TGA curves of TTA-DPP4 and TTA-DPP2 at a heating rate of 10 °C min-1 under N2.
Figure 4: UV–vis absorption spectra of TTA-DPP4 (red) and TTA-DPP2 (black) in (a) chloroform solutions and (b...
Figure 5: J–V characteristics of BHJ-OSCs based on (a) TTA-DPP4:PC71BM (1:1.5, w/w) and (b) TTA-DPP2:PC71BM (...
Figure 6: Relationship between active layer thickness and power conversion efficiency (PCE) for TTA-DPP4, TTA...
Graphical Abstract
Scheme 1: Stille cross coupling reaction for the synthesis of PTzBDT-1 and PTzBDT-2.
Figure 1: UV–visible absorption spectra of the pristine PTzBDT-1 and PTzBDT-2 (A) in chlorobenzene and chloro...
Figure 2: Square wave voltamogramme of PTzBDT-1 and PTzBDT-2.
Figure 3: J–V plots, measured under standard illumination (AM1.5G, 100 mW/cm2), of PTzBDT-1: PC61BM and PTzBD...
Figure 4: A) UV–vis absorption spectra and, B) EQE plots of optimized PTzBDT-1/PTzBDT-2:PC61BM based devices.
Figure 5: AFM images (size: 5 µm × 5 µm) of: A) 1:2 (wt/wt) PTzBDT-1:PC61BM (RMS of ~1.5 nm) and, B) 1:1 (wt/...
Graphical Abstract
Scheme 1: Synthetic route to compounds 1–4 with BDT core. Reagents and conditions: i) [Pd2(dba)3]·CHCl3, HP(t-...
Figure 1: UV−vis absorption spectra of COOP-nHT-TBDTs 1–4 (a) in chloroform solution (5.0 × 10−5 mol·L-1) and...
Figure 2: (a) Cyclic voltammograms of 1–4 measured in CH2Cl2 solution (1.0 × 10−3 mol·L−1) with 0.1 mol·L−1 Bu...
Figure 3: (a) J–V curves of the best COOP-nHT-TBDT:PC61BM solar cells; (b) EQE spectra of the corresponding c...
Figure 4: AFM height images of COOP-nHT-TBDT:PC61BM blended films: (a) 1, 1:0.6 (w/w); (b) 2, 1:0.6 (w/w); (c...
Figure 5: J–V curves of COOP-nHT-TBDT:PC61BM-based hole-only devices.
Figure 6: (a) VOC, (b) JSC, (c) FF, and (d) PCE decay of the COOP-nHT-TBDT:PC61BM solar cells. Note all these...
Graphical Abstract
Figure 1: a) Azadipyrromethene ligand labeling positioning; b and c) chelates; d) estimated HOMO/LUMO energy ...
Figure 2: Chemical structures of the fluorinated ADP derivatives of WS3 explored in the study.
Scheme 1: Generic synthetic scheme for fluorinated free ligands, where L# corresponds to the desired ligand n...
Scheme 2: Generic chelation scheme yielding WS3-based BF2+ and zinc(II) complexes.
Figure 3: TGA spectra for the zinc(II) complexes.
Figure 4: Molar absorptivities in chloroform solutions of a) zinc(II) chelates b) BF2+ chelates.
Figure 5: Normalized absorbance from spun-coat chloroform solution on microscope glass of a) zinc(II) chelate...
Figure 6: Cyclic voltamograms of zinc(II) chelates in 0.1 M TBAPF6 dichloromethane solution with Fc/Fc+ as an...
Figure 7: Cyclic voltamograms of BF2+ chelates in 0.1 M TBAPF6 dichloromethane solution with Fc/Fc+ as an int...
Figure 8: Estimated HOMO and LUMO energy levels obtained by cyclic voltammetry from the E1/2 values in dichlo...
Figure 9: ORTEP drawing of Zn(L2)2 with ellipsoids drawn at the 50% probability level and a partial labeling ...
Figure 10: ORTEP drawing of Zn(L2)2 with ellipsoids drawn at the 50% probability level and a partial labeling ...
Graphical Abstract
Scheme 1: Grignard metathesis polymerization method of synthesizing the diblock copolymer. Relative block len...
Figure 1: Differential scanning calorimetry thermogram (second cycle, 10 K/min) of P3OT-b-F-P3OT 2:1 before (...
Figure 2: Selected region of the 1H NMR (d2-TCE at 403 K) of P3OT-b-F-P3OT produced with 3:1 (a) and 1:3 (b) ...
Figure 3: Thin film UV–visible absorption spectra of 2:1 (a) and 1:4 (b) P3OT-b-F-P3OT polymers (red line), o...
Figure 4: Overlay of thin film UV–visible absorption spectra (a) of the two block copolymers and the correspo...
Figure 5: Thin-film UV–visible absorption spectra of a) P3OT, b) F-P3OT, c) P3OT-b-F-P3OT 2:1, d) P3OT-b-F-P3...
Figure 6: Temperature dependent Raman spectra measured during heating showing the main C–C and C=C stretches ...
Figure 7: Influence of temperature on the relative Raman scattering intensities of the P3OT (1446 cm−1) and F...
Graphical Abstract
Figure 1: Chemical structures of molecular materials with the following variations; BTxR, alkyl side chains o...
Scheme 1: Synthesis of the key intermediates TMS-Tx-BPin (3), i) diisopropylamine (DIA), THF, n-BuLi, −78 °C ...
Scheme 2: Oligothiophenes 4–11 synthesised through reaction of the commercially available 5-bromo-2-thiophene...
Scheme 3: Synthesis of the bithiophene through palladium catalyzed direct arylation, a) i) Pd(OAc)2, PCy3, Pi...
Scheme 4: Synthesis of the key bis-borylated BDT core 13, i) 1.5 equiv B2Pin2, 0.025 equiv [Ir(COD)OMe]2, 0.0...
Scheme 5: Synthesis of the BXR and BTXR series of materials, i) 5-bromothiophene carboxaldehyde, 5b, 7a–c, 9b...
Figure 2: BQR thermal and POM properties. a) DSC thermogram of BQR under nitrogen at a ramp rate of 10 °C min...
Figure 3: BT4R thermal and POM images. a) DSC thermogram of BT4R under nitrogen at a ramp rate of 10 °C min−1...
Figure 4: UV–vis absorption spectra of the BXXR series in CHCl3. An expansion of the peak area is shown in th...
Figure 5: Normalised thin film UV–vis absorption profiles for the BXxR series for, a) as-cast films (from CDCl...
Figure 6: Normalised thin film UV–vis absorption profiles for a) BBR, b) BTR and c) BQR showing as-cast (blac...
Figure 7: Normalised thin film fluorescence emission profiles for BXxR series after excitation at 580 nm, a) ...
Figure 8: Variable temperature thin film UV–vis absorption profiles for BQR, collected using the transmission...
Figure 9: Variable temperature thin-film fluorescence emission profiles for BQR, a) heating and b) cooling, c...
Figure 10: BQR thin film UV–vis (solid lines) and fluorescence emission spectra (dashed lines) collected at rt...
Figure 11: Optimized geometry and molecular orbital surfaces of HOMO (bottom) and LUMO (top) for the BXR serie...
Figure 12: J–V characteristics of BXR:PC71BM BHJ solar cells. (a) device structure, (b) J–V curves for as-cast...
Figure 13: J–V characteristics of BTxR:PC71BM ternary BHJ solar cells, a) device architecture, and b) J–V curv...
Figure 14: J–V characteristics of PTB7-Th:BQR:PC71BM ternary BHJ solar cells. (a) PTB7-Th chemical structure, ...
Graphical Abstract
Figure 1: a) Molecular structures and b) energy levels of p-SIDT(FBTTh2)2 and p-SIDT(FBTThCA8)2 highlighting ...
Scheme 1: Synthetic route towards p-SIDT(FBTThCA8)2. (i) Sn2Me6, Pd(PPh3)4, toluene, 85 °C; (ii) 4,7-dibromo-...
Figure 2: a) Solid-state absorption profiles of neat p-SIDT(FBTThCA8)2 (dashed line) and p-SIDT(FBTThCA8)2:PC...
Figure 3: Light intensity dependence of photocurrent as a function of the effective voltage, V0 − V, for devi...
Figure 4: Current voltage curves for devices cast from pure chlorobenzene (yellow) and with 1.5% DIO (blue) w...
Figure 5: Dynamic secondary ion mass spectrometry (DSIMS) profile showing scaled nitrogen (solid) and deuteri...
Figure 6: a) A schematic diagram of inverted architecture and b) J–V curves of device cast with no DIO in the...