Synthesis of isoindigo-based oligothiophenes for molecular bulk heterojunction solar cells

Jianguo Mei; Kenneth R Graham; Romain Stalder; John R Reynolds

doi:10.1021/ol902512x

Synthesis of isoindigo-based oligothiophenes for molecular bulk heterojunction solar cells

Org Lett. 2010 Feb 19;12(4):660-3. doi: 10.1021/ol902512x.

Authors

Jianguo Mei¹, Kenneth R Graham, Romain Stalder, John R Reynolds

Affiliation

¹ The George and Josephine Butler Polymer Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and Center for Macromolecular Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611-7200, USA.

PMID: 20099892
DOI: 10.1021/ol902512x

Abstract

Isoindigo, as a new electron acceptor unit for organic electronic materials, was integrated into two low-energy gap oligothiophenes. Optical and electrochemical studies of the newly synthesized oligomers demonstrate broad absorption through the visible spectrum, along with appropriate energy levels, as desired for light harvesting donors for organic solar cells when blended with [6,6]-phenyl-C(61)-butyric acid methyl ester (PC(60)BM). Molecular heterojunction solar cells were fabricated using these oligomers and exhibit a power conversion efficiency up to 1.76% with a V(oc) of 0.74 V, I(sc) of 6.3 mA/cm(2) and fill factor of 0.38.