Donor-Acceptor Alternating Copolymer Compatibilizers for Thermally Stable, Mechanically Robust, and High-Performance Organic Solar Cells

Small-molecule acceptor SMA)-based organic solar cells (OSCs) have achieved high power conversion efficiencies (PCEs), while their long-term stabilities remain to be improved to meet the requirements for real applications. Herein, we demonstrate the use of donor-acceptor alternating copolymer-type compatibilizers (DACCs) in high-performance SMA-based OSCs, enhancing their PCE, thermal stability, and mechanical robustness simultaneously. Detailed experimental and computational studies reveal that the addition of DACCs to polymer donor (P-D)-SMA blends effectively reduces P-D-SMA interfacial tensions and stabilizes the interfaces, preventing the coalescence of the phase-separated domains. As a result, desired morphologies with exceptional thermal stability and mechanical robustness are obtained for the P-D-SMA blends. The addition of 20 wt % DACCs affords OSCs with a PCE of 17.1% and a cohesive fracture energy (G(c)) of 0.89 J m(-2), higher than those (PCE = 13.6% and G(c) = 0.35 J m(-2)) for the control OSCs without DACCs. Moreover, at an elevated temperature of 120 degrees C, the OSCs with 20 wt % DACC exhibit excellent morphological stability, retaining over 95% of the initial PCE after 300 h. In contrast, the control OSCs without the DACC rapidly degraded to below 60% of the initial PCE after 144 h.

Automated summary

The study demonstrates the use of donor-acceptor alternating copolymer-type compatibilizers (DACCs) in high-performance SMA-based organic solar cells to enhance their power conversion efficiency, thermal stability, and mechanical robustness. Addition of DACCs effectively reduces interfacial tensions and stabilizes interfaces in polymer donor (P-D)-SMA blends, resulting in desired morphologies with exceptional thermal stability and mechanical robustness. OSCs with 20 wt % DACCs exhibit excellent morphological stability, retaining over 95% of initial power conversion efficiency after 300 hours at elevated temperature, contrasting with control OSCs without DACCs which degraded rapidly.