Novel Third Components with (Thio)barbituric Acid as the End Groups Improving the Efficiency of Ternary Solar Cells

Developing novel third component is critical for the ternary organic solar cells (TOSCs). Herein, we design and synthesize two novel third components, MAZ-1 and MAZ-2, with 1,3-diethyl-2-thiobarbituric acid and 1,3-dimethylbarbituric acid as the weak electron withdrawing end groups, respectively. Both MAZ-1 and MAZ-2 could improve the photovoltaic performance of the binary OSCs based on D18:Y6 which exhibit the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 17%, because the third components can optimize the phase separation, suppress the bimolecular recombination, and decrease the nonradiative energy loss in ternary blends. The PCE of the optimized TOSCs approaches 18% along with the simultaneous increase in open circuit voltage, short circuit current density, and fill factor by incorporating 10 wt % MAZ-1 and MAZ-2 in acceptors. This work enriches the building blocks for novel third components for achieving highly efficient TOSCs.

Automated summary

In this study, two novel third components, MAZ-1 and MAZ-2, were designed and synthesized, and their application in binary organic solar cells improved the photovoltaic performance. Optimal phase separation, suppression of recombination, and reduction of energy loss were achieved, resulting in enhanced efficiency of TOSCs.