Design of Cyanovinylene‐Containing Polymer Acceptors with Large Dipole Moment Change for Efficient Charge Generation in High‐Performance All‐Polymer Solar Cells

Abstract

AbstractDesigning polymers that facilitate exciton dissociation and charge transport is critical for the production of highly efficient all‐polymer solar cells (all‐PSCs). Here, the development of a new class of high‐performance naphthalenediimide (NDI)‐based polymers with large dipole moment change (Δµge) and delocalized lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) as electron acceptors for all‐PSCs is reported. A series of NDI‐based copolymers incorporating electron‐withdrawing cyanovinylene groups into the backbone (PNDITCVT‐R) is designed and synthesized with 2‐hexyldecyl (R = HD) and 2‐octyldodecyl (R = OD) side chains. Density functional theory calculations reveal an enhancement in Δµge and delocalization of the LUMO upon the incorporation of cyanovinylene groups. All‐PSCs fabricated from these new NDI‐based polymer acceptors exhibit outstanding power conversion efficiencies (7.4%) and high fill factors (65%), which is attributed to efficient exciton dissociation, well‐balanced charge transport, and suppressed monomolecular recombination. Morphological studies by grazing X‐ray scattering and resonant soft X‐ray scattering measurements show the blend films containing polymer donor and PNDITCVT‐R acceptors to exhibit favorable face‐on orientation and well‐mixed morphology with small domain spacing (30–40 nm).