Non-fused medium bandgap electron acceptors for efficient organic photovoltaics

Abstract

The cost-effective organic semiconductors are strongly needed in organic photovoltaics (OPVs). Herein, two medium bandgap (MBG) electron acceptors, TPT4F and TPT4Cl are developed via the new design of multi-noncovalent interaction assisted unfused core, flanked with two electron withdrawing end groups. These fullly non-fused MBG acceptors adapt the planar and rigid conformation in solid, therefore exhibiting the ordered face-on stacking and strong photoluminescence in films. As results, TPT4Cl-based OPVs, upon blending with the PBDB-TF polymer donor, have achieved a power conversion efficiency of 10.16% with a low non-radiative loss of 0.27 eV, representing one of the best fullly non-fused medium bandgap acceptors with desirable cost-efficiency balance.