Tackling Energy Loss in Organic Solar Cells via Volatile Solid Additive Strategy

Adv Sci (Weinh). 2024 Apr 18:e2401330. doi: 10.1002/advs.202401330. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

The energy loss induced open-circuit voltage (VOC) deficit hampers the rapid development of state-of-the-art organic solar cells (OSCs), therefore, it is extremely urgent to explore effective strategies to address this issue. Herein, a new volatile solid additive 1,4-bis(iodomethyl)cyclohexane (DIMCH) featured with concentrated electrostatic potential distribution is utilized to act as a morphology-directing guest to reduce energy loss in multiple state-of-art blend system, leading to one of highest efficiency (18.8%) at the forefront of reported binary OSCs. Volatile DIMCH decreases radiative/non-radiative recombination induced energy loss (ΔE2/ΔE3) by rationally balancing the crystallinity of donors and acceptors and realizing homogeneous network structure of crystal domain with reduced D-A phase separation during the film formation process and weakens energy disorder and trap density in OSCs. It is believed that this study brings not only a profound understanding of emerging volatile solid additives but also a new hope to further reduce energy loss and improve the performance of OSCs.

Keywords: 1, 4‐bis(iodomethyl)cyclohexane; energy loss; open‐circuit voltage; organic solar cells; volatile solid additive.