Manipulating Vertical Phase Separation Enables Pseudoplanar Heterojunction Organic Solar Cells Over 19% Efficiency via Ternary Polymerization

Controlling vertical phase separation of the active layer to enable efficient exciton dissociation and charge carrier transport is crucial to boost power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of pseudoplanar heterojunction (PPHJ) organic solar cells (OSCs). However, how to optimize the vertical phase separation of PPHJ OSCs via molecule design is rarely reported yet. Herein, ternary polymerization strategy is employed to develop a series of polymer donors, DL1-DL4, and regulate their solubility, molecular aggregation, molecular orientation, and miscibility, thus efficiently manipulating vertical phase separation in PPHJ OSCs. Among them, DL1 not only has enhanced solubility, inhibited molecular aggregation and partial edge-on orientation to facilitate acceptor molecules, Y6, to permeate into polymer layer and increase donor/acceptor interfaces, but also sustains high crystallinity and appropriate miscibility with Y6 to acquire ordered molecular packing, thus achieving optimized vertical phase separation to well juggle exciton dissociation and charge transport in PPHJ devices. Therefore, DL1/Y6 based PPHJ OSCs gain the best exciton dissociation probability, highest charge carrier mobilities and weakest charge recombination, and thus afford an impressive PCE of 19.10%, which is the record value for terpolymer donors. It demonstrates that ternary polymerization is an efficient method to optimize vertical phase separation in PPHJ OSCs for high PCEs. Ternary polymerization strategy is employed to manipulate the vertical phase separation in pseudoplanar heterojunction (PPHJ) organic solar cells (OSCs). The terpolymer DL1, with enhanced solubility, partial edge-on orientation, and high crystallinity, endows DL1/Y6 PPHJ blend film with the optimized vertical phase separation. Therefore, DL1/Y6 based PPHJ OSCs afford an impressive PCE of 19.10%, which is the record for terpolymer donors.image

Automated summary

The vertical phase separation in pseudoplanar heterojunction (PPHJ) organic solar cells (OSCs) was manipulated using a ternary polymerization strategy, resulting in optimized exciton dissociation and charge transport, leading to impressive power conversion efficiencies (PCEs).