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Recent advances and prospects of asymmetric non-fullerene small molecule acceptors for polymer solar cells

Liu Ye1, Weiyu Ye1 and Shiming Zhang1, 2,

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 Corresponding author: Shiming Zhang, iamsmzhang@njtech.edu.cn

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Abstract: Recently, polymer solar cells developed very fast due to the application of non-fullerence acceptors. Substituting asymmetric small molecules for symmetric small molecule acceptors in the photoactive layer is a strategy to improve the performance of polymer solar cells. The asymmetric design of the molecule is very beneficial for exciton dissociation and charge transport and will also fine-tune the molecular energy level to adjust the open-circuit voltage (Voc) further. The influence on the absorption range and absorption intensity will cause the short-circuit current density (Jsc) to change, resulting in higher device performance. The effect on molecular aggregation and molecular stacking of asymmetric structures can directly change the microscopic morphology, phase separation size, and the active layer's crystallinity. Very recently, thanks to the ingenious design of active layer materials and the optimization of devices, asymmetric non-fullerene polymer solar cells (A-NF-PSCs) have achieved remarkable development. In this review, we have summarized the latest developments in asymmetric small molecule acceptors (A-NF-SMAs) with the acceptor–donor–acceptor (A–D–A) and/or acceptor–donor–acceptor–donor–acceptor (A–D–A–D–A) structures, and the advantages of asymmetric small molecules are explored from the aspects of charge transport, molecular energy level and active layer accumulation morphology.

Key words: polymer solar cellsnon-fullerene acceptorssmall asymmetric molecules



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Fig. 1.  Chemical structures of (a) early reports of A-NF-SMAs, (b) early reports of small molecule acceptors.

Fig. 4.  Chemical structures of polymer donors.

Fig. 2.  (a) A typical current–voltage J–V characteristics of solar cells. (b) Standard architecture of bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) and (c) inverted structure. Reproduced with the permission of Ref. [34].

Fig. 3.  Simplified schematic of photoconversion in OSCs with the processes of photon absorption, exciton diffusion, exciton dissociation by charge transfer, and charge carrier collection denoted. Reproduced with permission from Ref. [33].

Fig. 5.  Chemical structures of A–D–A asymmetric non-fullerene acceptors without nitrogen.

Fig. 6.  Chemical structures of A–D–A asymmetric non-fullerene acceptors with nitrogen.

Fig. 7.  Chemical structures of other asymmetric non-fullerene acceptors based on the A–D–A structure and the molecules that are associated.

Fig. 8.  (a) Chemical structure of CC5 and CC10. (b) Optimized geometries and the corresponding intermolecular binding energies by DFT calculations of CC5 and CC10 dimers. Reproduced with the permission of Ref. [62]. (c) The molecular structures, (d) DFT calculated geometries (side view), and the HOMO/LUMO (top view) structures of IDT-2BM and PhITBD. Reproduced with the permission of Ref. [69].

Fig. 9.  The chemical structures of asymmetric non-fullerene acceptors are based on asymmetric terminal groups and their molecules.

Fig. 10.  Chemical structure of asymmetric non-fullerene acceptors based on asymmetric branched chains and the molecules associated with them.

Fig. 11.  Chemical structures of asymmetric non-fullerene acceptors based on A1–D–A2–D–A1 structure and the molecules that are associated with them.

Fig. 12.  (a) Molecular conformation of TB-4Cl and Y6. (b) Chemical structures of TB-4Cl and Y6. Models of (c) TB-4Cl-2T2, (d) TB-4Cl-1T1, and (e) Y6-dimer in front view and side view. Reproduced with the permission of Ref. [92].

Fig. 13.  The box chart of PCE distribution for A-NF-SMAs based on different structures.

Table 1.   Device parameters for A–D–A typed A-NF-SMA PSCs.

A-NF-SMAEgopt (eV)HOMO/LUMO (eV)DonorVoc (V)Jsc (mA/cm2)FF (%)PCEmax (%)Ref.
IPT2F-TCl1.48–5.59/–4.00PBDB-T0.86020.5977.5113.74[21]
TPTT-IC1.63–5.78/–3.95PBT1-C0.96015.6070.0010.50[37]
TPTT-2F1.58–5.75/–4.04PBT1-C0.88115.8273.0010.17[38]
TPTTT-2F1.56–5.69/–4.01PBT1-C0.91617.6374.5012.03[38]
T-TT1.64–5.43/–3.47PM60.96616.0062.709.70[39]
T-TT-4F1.58–5.44/–3.51PM60.85918.4866.1010.49[39]
T-TT-4Cl1.53–5.48/–3.59PM60.81319.0065.7010.16[39]
IDT6CN-M1.63–5.62/–3.90PBDB-T0.92415.9776.1011.23[40]
IDT8CN-M1.58–5.54/–3.91PBDB-T0.92017.1178.9012.43[40]
TPTT-T-2F1.54–5.60/–4.00PBT1-C0.91518.5075.1012.71[41]
IDT6CN1.63–5.68/–3.97PBDB-T0.83015.1473.779.27[42]
IDT6CN-Th1.61–5.71/–4.01PBDB-T0.81016.7576.7210.41[42]
IDT6CN-M1.65–5.60/–3.87PBDB-T0.91016.0276.8311.20[42]
IDT6CN-TM1.60–5.70/–3.96PM60.95317.4074.7012.40[43]
IDT6CN-4F1.58–5.78/–4.12PM60.85918.3469.1010.88[43]
α-IT1.54–5.65/–3.99PM60.90716.6076.2011.46[44]
N7IT1.42–5.47/–3.93PM60.93221.0470.5013.82[44]
N8IT1.42–5.41/–3.90PM60.94318.5368.2011.92[44]
MeIC11.54–5.59/–3.89PBDB-T0.92718.3274.1012.58[45]
TTPTTT-IC1.60–5.64/–3.87PBT1-C0.99612.4763.707.91[46]
TTPTTT-2F1.54–5.67/–4.04PBT1-C0.92016.7873.6011.52[46]
TTPTTT-4F1.52–5.69/–4.12PBT1-C0.86319.3672.1012.05[46]
SePT-IN1.54–5.77/–4.00PBT1-C0.85016.3773.3010.20[47]
SePTT-2F1.50–5.71/–4.00PBT1-C0.83017.5175.0010.90[48]
SePTTT-2F1.50–5.66/–3.97PBT1-C0.89518.0275.9012.24[48]
TBDB-Ph1.46–5.44/–3.74PBDT-BZ
PTBD-BZ
PDTBDT-BZ
0.926
0.925
0.913
9.93
18.13
13.41
43.90
65.90
51.80
4.04
11.06
6.20
[49]
TBDB-Na1.41–5.45/–3.77PBDT-BZ
PTBD-BZ
PDTBDT-BZ
0.905
0.906
0.879
13.14
19.61
11.24
53.20
70.20
54.40
6.32
12.47
5.38
[49]
a-BTTIC1.43–5.45/–3.83PBDB-T0.90420.3174.0013.60[50]
IPT-2F1.44–5.51/–3.96PBDB-T0.86022.4072.4014.00[53]
IPTT-2F1.42–5.46/–4.04PBDB-T0.87419.7066.2011.40[53]
IPTTT-2F1.43–5.40/–4.07PBDB-T0.89420.0069.3012.30[53]
IPT-4F1.42–5.57/–4.08PM60.91422.0874.1514.96[54]
IPTBO-4F1.41–5.57/–4.07PM60.91722.0872.4514.67[54]
IPT-4Cl1.39–5.58/–4.11PM60.88323.1870.3714.40[54]
IPTBO-4Cl1.39–5.64/–4.08PM60.89323.1572.5715.00[54]
TPICPM71.00318.5171.1013.20[55]
TPIC-4FPM70.90122.3574.2014.90[55]
TPIC-4ClPM70.88522.8975.7015.40[55]
TPIC1.50–5.30/–3.85PM71.00218.7770.9013.33[56]
TPIC-2Cl1.45–5.36/–3.92PM70.94121.3772.2014.53[56]
TPIC-4Cl1.40–5.35/–3.97PM70.88123.0375.5015.31[56]
DTPPSe-IC1.46–5.38/–3.84PBDB-T0.90017.3263.369.88[57]
DTPPSe-2F1.40–5.52/–4.05PBDB-T0.84022.1673.7013.76[57]
DTPPSe-4F1.39–5.53/–4.10PBDB-T0.78021.1872.8412.03[57]
IDTP-4F–5.54/–3.98PM6
S1
PM7
0.871
0.892
0.903
22.30
22.40
22.50
73.40
73.20
74.60
14.30
14.60
15.20
[58]
IDTTP-4F–5.53/–3.97PM6
S1
PM7
0.874
0.897
0.908
20.50
21.40
21.20
70.30
70.20
71.60
12.60
13.50
13.80
[58]
IN-4F1.45–5.59/–3.94PM60.92019.5069.6512.50[60]
INO-4F1.46–5.64/–3.93PM60.93020.4671.9513.69[60]
IPT-4F1.41–5.56/–4.05PM60.88022.1575.0114.62[60]
IPCl-4F1.39–5.60/–4.08PM60.83021.1861.3810.79[60]
ITCNTC1.68–5.66/–3.92J710.94214.1663.808.52[61]
CC101.38–5.72/–4.07PM60.77122.7067.3011.78[62]
N65-IC1.48–5.52/–3.89PBDB-T
PBDB-T-2F
0.870
0.870
18.94
15.07
55.00
51.00
9.03
6.67
[63]
N65-2FIC1.40–5.60/–4.03PBDB-T
PBDB-T-2F
0.720
0.820
19.11
21.49
62.00
58.00
8.51
10.19
[63]
ITOTC1.61–5.66/–3.87PBDB-T0.94015.1058.828.35[64]
ITUTC1.60–5.66/–3.85PBDB-T0.94014.5456.377.68[64]
ITUIC1.64–5.65/–3.83PBDB-T0.97013.6448.586.45[64]
IOTC1.69–5.70/–4.01PBDB-T0.95015.0455.527.94[66]
IETC1.72–5.72/–4.00PBDB-T0.96014.5353.217.40[66]
IOPC1.76–5.71/–3.95PBDB-T1.01010.6944.904.86[66]
IEPC1.76–5.72/–3.96PBDB-T1.00011.5545.545.26[66]
TIDT-BT-R21.68–5.25/–3.65PTB7-Th1.04013.1063.908.70[68]
TIDT-BT-R61.70–5.28/–3.67PTB7-Th1.03010.3052.305.60[68]
PhITBD
1.64
–5.74/–3.69
–5.69/–3.99
PTB7-Th
PBDB-T
0.757
0.890
14.07
4.560
62.00
44.00
6.57
1.79
[69]
[96]
ITBR1.71–5.55/–3.71PTB7-Th1.02014.4651.027.49[29]
ITBRC1.63–5.60/–3.82PTB7-Th0.79013.3459.496.27[29]
ITBC1.59–5.64/–3.94PTB7-Th0.9109.2151.044.26[29]
ITDI1.36–5.75/–4.26PBDB-T0.94014.2360.348.00[72]
CDTDI1.53–5.89/–4.18PBDB-T0.8608.1638.252.75[72]
ITIC-2Cl-β–5.30/–3.71PBDB-T-2F0.94018.4764.6311.21[76]
α-ITIC-2Cl–5.29/–3.77PBDB-T-2F0.88018.9173.5012.23[76]
ITIC-2F1.56–5.76/–4.07PBDB-TF0.92017.3065.7010.38[77]
ITIC-3F1.54–5.73/–4.12PBDB-TF0.89019.4066.5011.44[77]
a-IT-2OM1.63–5.61/–3.92PBDB-T0.93018.1171.5212.07[78]
a-IT-2F1.56–5.67/–4.07PBDB-T0.78019.0668.8410.28[78]
IT-3FPBDB-TF0.91020.3375.7013.83[79]
IDTT-2F-Th1.55–5.78/–4.09PBT1-C-2Cl0.91217.8273.9012.01[80]
ITIC-2Cl−Th–5.31/–3.70PM60.86018.5872.0911.45[81]
ITIC-Cl-γ-Th–5.30/–3.66PM60.91018.3073.1512.25[81]
ITIC-Cl-δ-Th–5.31/–3.74PM60.89017.2772.5611.13[81]
ZITI-3F1.50–5.64/–3.76J710.90020.6771.5313.15[82]
IDTBF1.58–5.64/–3.80PM60.94016.9865.1410.43[83]
A11.55–5.15/–3.73J710.9705.7129.571.63[84]
A21.61–5.37/–3.67J710.98011.6339.634.52[84]
IDT-OB1.66–5.77/–3.87PBDB-T0.88016.1871.1010.12[85]
IDTT-OB1.59–5.59/–3.88PBDB-T0.91016.1975.1011.19[86]
p-IO11.34–5.46/–4.13PTB70.78022.3062.0010.80[87]
o-IO11.28–5.44/–4.15PTB70.74026.3067.0013.10[87]
TOBDTPM60.89018.7068.0011.30[88]
MeITBD1.69–5.74/–3.95PBDB-T0.89011.1058.005.75[96]
DownLoad: CSV

Table 2.   Device parameters for A–D–A–D–A Typed NF-SMA PSCs.

A-NF-SMAEgopt (eV)HOMO/LUMO (eV)DonorVoc (V)Jsc (mA/cm2)FF (%)PCEmax (%)Ref.
BTP-S1PM60.93422.3972.6915.21[32]
BTP-S2PM60.94524.0772.0216.37[32]
Y6-1O1.43–5.71/–3.84PM60.89023.2078.3016.10[36]
BDTP-4F1.36–5.61/–3.90PM60.89522.5475.5015.24[59]
BTDTP-4F1.30–5.56/–3.93PM60.86621.2571.3013.12[59]
SY1–5.68/–3.95PM60.87125.4176.0016.83[90]
SY2–5.67/–3.99PM60.85225.2974.3016.01[90]
SY3–5.69/–3.98PM60.85825.5474.1016.23[90]
BTP-2F-ThCl1.34–5.70/–3.99PM60.86925.3877.4017.06[91]
TB-4Cl–5.70/–4.10PM6
PM7
0.848
0.862
22.16
21.67
75.20
71.78
14.67
13.67
[92]
Y211.35–5.65/–3.90PM60.83024.9074.4015.40[93]
Y221.38–5.69/–3.94PM60.85324.3774.1215.40[94]
DownLoad: CSV
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    Received: 29 June 2021 Revised: 06 September 2021 Online: Accepted Manuscript: 22 September 2021Uncorrected proof: 27 September 2021Published: 15 October 2021

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      Liu Ye, Weiyu Ye, Shiming Zhang. Recent advances and prospects of asymmetric non-fullerene small molecule acceptors for polymer solar cells[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2021, 42(10): 101607. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/42/10/101607 L Ye, W Y Ye, S M Zhang, Recent advances and prospects of asymmetric non-fullerene small molecule acceptors for polymer solar cells[J]. J. Semicond., 2021, 42(10): 101607. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/42/10/101607.Export: BibTex EndNote
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      Liu Ye, Weiyu Ye, Shiming Zhang. Recent advances and prospects of asymmetric non-fullerene small molecule acceptors for polymer solar cells[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2021, 42(10): 101607. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/42/10/101607

      L Ye, W Y Ye, S M Zhang, Recent advances and prospects of asymmetric non-fullerene small molecule acceptors for polymer solar cells[J]. J. Semicond., 2021, 42(10): 101607. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/42/10/101607.
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      Recent advances and prospects of asymmetric non-fullerene small molecule acceptors for polymer solar cells

      doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/42/10/101607
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      • Author Bio:

        Liu Ye received a B.S. degree in applied chemistry from Xinzhou Teachers University in 2019. Now, she is an M.E. student at the Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University. Her research interest focuses on asymmetric non-fullerene small molecule acceptors for polymer solar cells

        Shiming Zhang received his PhD in 2009 from the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and subsequently began two years of postdoctoral research within the Department of Chemistry at Northwestern University under the supervision of Prof. Tobin J. Marks and Antonio Facchetti. He worked at KAUST (Saudi Arabia) as a postdoctoral fellow from 2011 to 2012, after which he moved to Singapore to work in Silecs International as a senior chemist from 2012 to 2014 and WinTech Nano as a quality lead/principal engineer from 2014 to 2015. In 2015 he joined the Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM) and began his professorship at Nanjing Tech University (NanjingTech) as a professor. His research interests include organic/flexible electronics and microelectronics-packaging materials

      • Corresponding author: iamsmzhang@njtech.edu.cn
      • Received Date: 2021-06-29
      • Revised Date: 2021-09-06
      • Published Date: 2021-10-10

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