Performance Of Polymer Solar Cells Research Articles

High efficiency metallic nanoshells for improving polymer solar cells performance: An opto-electrical study

Metallic nanoshells have attracted more attention compared to their solid counterparts as a result of producing high-yield plasmonic effects, such as large scattering and absorption cross-sections, potent near-field, strong optical trapping and long fluorescence time, during the plasmon hybridization mechanism. However, no focused study has been performed on optimizing this type of nanoparticles to improve the performance of polymer solar cells (PSCs) because they are difficult to synthesize. Our coupled optical-electrical simulation results show that the effort to fabricate may be worth it. In this work, we propose SiO2@Ag@SiO2 nanoparticles and optimize their size, material, and shells thickness. We show that their optimization makes full use of plasmonic effects possible, providing the PSCs with improvements in light concentration and optical absorption. Subsequently, we investigate the effect of nanoparticles’ concentration, their array and shape on the performance of PSCs based on PTB7:PC71BM, P3HT:PC60BM and PCDTBT:PC70BM. For the first time, we show that spherical nanoparticles can more improve the performance of PSCs compared to cubic ones, despite the fact that cubic nanoparticles have better plasmonic properties than their spherical counterparts. The results show significant improvement in electrical performance of the PSCs which results in efficiency enhancement of ~63%, ~106% and ~55%, respectively.

Bridging for Carriers by Embedding Metal Oxide Nanoparticles in the Photoactive Layer to Enhance Performance of Polymer Solar Cells

Carrier collection and light absorption is a couple of contradiction for polymer solar cells (PSCs) because of the limited carrier mobility and optical absorption coefficient for the organic active layers. In this article, the concept of “bridging for carriers” is introduced by embedding metal oxide (ZnO for electrons and NiO x for holes in this study) nanoparticles into the photoactive layer of PSCs to improve exciton separation, enhance carrier transport, reduce electron–hole recombination and thus facilitate carrier collection. It is found that ∼57.6% increase in the power conversion efficiency, i.e., from 1.98% to 3.12% for the optimal addition of ZnO and NiO x into the active layer of the P3HT:PC61BM blend is achieved as compared with the control case without adding ZnO and NiO x nanoparticles. In combination with the simple hydrothermal method of preparing these metal oxide nanoparticles, this study is believed to provide valuable contribution to explore facile approaches to address the contradiction of carrier collection and light absorption for PSCs by bridging for carriers in the photoactive layer.

Novel benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']difuran-based copolymer enables efficient polymer solar cells with small energy loss and high VOC

Abstract Benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']difuran (BDF)-based copolymers have displayed some success in fabricating efficient polymer solar cells (PSCs). However, the PSCs suffer from significant energy loss (Eloss) that results in low open-circuit voltage (Voc) and greatly hinders the further improvement of photovoltaic performance of PSCs. Herein, we designed and synthesized a novel copolymer PBDFP-Bz based on BDF and benzotriazole, where the BDF unit was modified by (2-ethylhexyl)(2-fluorophenyl)sulfane side chain. PBDFP-Bz displays large coplanar structure and deep-lying highest occupied molecular orbital energy level of −5.50 eV. PSCs based on PBDFP-Bz as donor and small molecule ITIC as acceptor achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 11.10% with Voc of 0.97 V and Eloss of 0.60 eV. Moreover, when adopting small molecule IT-M to replace ITIC, PBDFP-Bz:IT-M based PSCs delivered a larger Voc of 1.02 V and a smaller Eloss of 0.57 eV due to the shallower lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy level of IT-M versus that of ITIC. Importantly, a remarkable PCE of 12.93% was also obtained for PBDFP-Bz:IT-M based PSCs, which is among attractive photovoltaic performance of PSCs containing BDF-based copolymers. Our work not only suggests that PBDFP-Bz is a promising copolymer for efficient PSCs fabrication, but also sheds light on the design rule that managing the molecular structure of photovoltaic material and its energy level is an effective strategy to fabricate highly efficient PSCs.

Enhanced performance of ternary polymer solar cells via property modulation of co-absorbing wide band-gap polymers

A new approach is presented here to maximize the efficiency of ternary blend polymer solar cells (ter-PSCs). The properties of co-absorbing wide band-gap polymers are fine-tuned via the insertion of two different appropriate electron-acceptor units on their backbone in different ratios, and the resulting polymers are utilized as a co-absorbent on ter-PSCs. The copolymerization of benzodithiophene, pyrrolopyrrole-1,3-dione, and difluoro-benzothiadiazole derivatives at three different ratios, 1.00:1.00:0.00, 1.00:0.50:0.50, and 1.00:0.25:0.75, produces the polymers P1–P3. The absorption bands of P1–P3 are gradually red-shifted, and the band-gaps are reduced. The crystallinity of the polymers is increased in the order of P1 < P2 < P3. The binary polymer solar cells (bi-PSCs) are fabricated using blends of P1, P2, or P3 with PC70BM and provide comparable power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 5.41%, 5.55%, and 4.01%, respectively. However, the inclusion of 20 wt% of each of P1, P2, and P3 on a P4 (=PTB7-Th):PC70BM blend offers PCEs of 9.31%, 9.60%, and 9.85%, respectively, which are higher than that of the bi-PSC made using a blend of P4:PC70BM (PCE = 8.20%). The improved absorption, crystallinity, and carrier mobilities of the ternary blends are the main reasons for their enhanced photovoltaic performance compared with the binary blends.

Comparison of TiO2 and ZnO electron selective layers on the inverted-type polymer solar cells

In this study, P3HT:PCBM polymer-based solar cell devices with TiO2 and ZnO electron selective layers were separately investigated to compare effects of metal oxide layer in the inverted-type polymer solar cell structures. R.f. magnetron sputtering technique was used to fabricate highly oriented polycrystalline TiO2 and ZnO thin film layers onto FTO-coated glass substrates. The surface morphology, structural and optical properties of TiO2 and ZnO electron selective layers were studied by performing X-ray diffraction (XRD), confocal Raman spectroscopy, transmittance spectra and Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). Photovoltaic performance of inverted-type polymer solar cell based on Poly (3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) and [6,6]-Phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) with different electron selective layers was executed to analyze the effects of TiO2 and ZnO thin film layers on the power conversion efficiency (PCE) value of inverted polymer solar cell (IPSC) devices. Produced devices with TiO2 and ZnO thin film indicated the best device performance with maximum PCE values of 2.88 and 3.49%, respectively.

Chlorination: An Effective Strategy for High-Performance Organic Solar Cells.

This work summarizes recent developments in polymer solar cells (PSCs) prepared by a chlorination strategy. The intrinsic property of chlorine atoms, the progress of chlorinated polymers and small molecules, and the synergistic effect of chlorination with other methods to elevate solar conversions are discussed. Halogenation of donor–acceptor (D–A) materials is an effective method to improve the performance of PSCs, which mainly affects the push–pull of electrons between donor and acceptor units due to their strong electron‐withdrawing capabilities. Although chlorine is less electronegative than fluorine, it can form very strong noncovalent interactions, such as Cl···S and Cl···π interactions, because its empty 3d orbits can help to accept the electron pairs or π electrons. This synergistic effect of electronegativity together with the empty 3d orbits of chlorine atoms leads to increased intramolecular and intermolecular interactions and a much stronger capability to down‐shift the molecular energy levels. This work is intended to support a better understanding of the chlorination strategy to modify the material properties, and thus improve the performance of solar devices. Eventually, it will provide the research community with a clearer pathway to choose proper substitution methods according to different situations for high and stable solar energy conversion.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Nanostructures of chemically modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes and poly(3-hexylthiophene) to improve photophysic/photovoltaic features

Multi-walled carbon nanotube/poly(3-hexylthiophene) (CNT/P3HT) and CNT-graft-poly(3-dodecylthiophene) (PDDT)/P3HT nanohybrids were applied in active layers to study the effects of these nanostructures on the polymer solar cell (PSC) performance. The charge-carrier dynamics and photophysics were studied in the binary and ternary systems based on P3HT, pre-developed nanostructures and/or phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) through the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and morphological analyses. The weaker bimolecular recombination in the photoactive layer, consisting of CNT-graft-PDDT/P3HT nanostructures, was confirmed by short-circuit current (Jsc) and open-circuit voltage (Voc) measurements as a function of light intensity. PSC composed of P3HT:PC71BM:CNT-graft-PDDT/P3HT PSC exhibited the highest PCE of 4.18% with significantly increased Jsc and Voc.

Graphitic carbon nitride quantum dots (g-C3N4) to improve photovoltaic performance of polymer solar cell by combining Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and morphological effects

In this study, multifunctionality of graphitic carbon nitride quantum dots (g-C3N4 QDs) have been explored as a photovoltaic booster for polymer solar cell. Facile synthesis method of g-C3N4 QDs using organic solvent like o-dichlorobenzene which is commonly used for cell fabrication, has been demonstrated. Photovoltaic effect formation and various effects of QDs on energy transfer, carrier transport and nanoscale film morphology of the devices have been investigated thoroughly by incorporating g-C3N4 QDs as a third component into a well-established material combination of P3HT: PC71BM blend films. While systematic variation of device performances was observed with varying concentration of QDs, at an optimal concentration of 2%, almost 40% performance improvement was achieved compared to the pristine devices. The g-C3N4 QDs were found to assist Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) between the QDs and host polymer, improving overall energy harvesting capability of the devices. The emission spectra of g-C3N4 QDs (λEms = 400–550) and absorption spectra of P3HT (λAbs = 400–600) were found to have overlapping features which enabled the QDs to transfer ultraviolet region photon energy to P3HT. The g-C3N4 QDs were also found to be favorable for maintaining nanoscale phase segregation of the active layer with improved crystallinity which is crucial for efficient exciton dissociation and faster charge extraction. The enhanced power conversion efficiency thus attributed to the combined consequences of improved morphology and FRET effect. This study opens new prospects for developing high-efficiency solution processable photovoltaic devices using g-C3N4 QDs as the third component of the active layer.

Enhanced performance of polymer solar cells based on P3HT:PCBM via incorporating Au nanoparticles prepared by the micellar method

Surface plasmonic effect of metal nanoparticles is an effective method to improve the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of solar cells. In this work, the PCE of bulk heterojunction (BHJ) polymer solar cells was improved by Au nanoparticles (NPs). The Au NPs were embedded into PEDOT:PSS hole transport layer by spin coating on the ITO substrates. The Au NPs with a diameter of ~16 nm were prepared by the micellar method using polystyrene-block-poly (2-vinylpyridine) diblock polymer. The Au NPs prepared by this method are distributed uniformly in size and without agglomeration on the substrates. From both experimental and theoretical results, it can be seen that the light absorption of the active layer was increased because of the surface plasmonic effect of Au NPs. Meanwhile, the carrier transport performance of PEDOT:PSS was enhanced with introduced Au NPs. As a result, the PCE of BHJ solar cells was improved from 2.81 to 3.25% by incorporating Au NPs.

Wide Band-gap Two-dimension Conjugated Polymer Donors with Different Amounts of Chlorine Substitution on Alkoxyphenyl Conjugated Side Chains for Non-fullerene Polymer Solar Cells

In this study, wide bandgap (WBG) two-dimensional (2D) copolymer donors (DZ1, DZ2, and DZ3) based on benzodithiophene (BDT) on alkoxyphenyl conjugated side chains without and with different amounts of chlorine atoms and difluorobenzotriazole (FBTZ) are designed and synthesized successfully for efficient non-fullerene polymer solar cells (PSCs). Three polymer donors DZ1, DZ2, and DZ3 display similar absorption spectra at 300–700 nm range with optional band-gap (Egopt) of 1.84, 1.92, and 1.97 eV, respectively. Compared with reported DZ1 without chlorine substitution, it is found that introducing chlorine atoms into the meta-position of the alkoxyphenyl group affords polymer possessing a deeper the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy level, which can increase open circuit voltage (VOC) of PSCs, as well as improve hole mobility. Non-fullerene bulk heterojunction PSCs based on DZ2:MeIC demonstrate a relatively high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.22% with a VOC of 0.88 V, a short-circuit current density (JSC) of 17.62 mA/cm2, and a fill factor (FF) of 68%, compared with PSCs based on DZ1:MeIC (a PCE of 8.26%) and DZ3:MeIC (a PCE of 6.28%). The results imply that adjusting chlorine atom amount on alkoxyphenyl side chains based on BDT polymer donors is a promising approach of synthesizing electron-rich building block for high performance of PSCs.

Using Dual Microresonant Cavity and Plasmonic Effects to Enhance the Photovoltaic Efficiency of Flexible Polymer Solar Cells.

Fabricating polymer solar cells (PSCs) on flexible polymer substrates, instead of on hard glass, is attractive for implementing the advantage and uniqueness of the PSCs represented by mechanically rollable and light-weight natures. However, simultaneously achieving reliable robustness and high-power conversion efficiency (PCE) in such flexible PSCs is still technically challenging due to poor light harvesting of thin photoactive polymers. In this work, we report a facile, effective strategy for improving the light-harvesting performance of flexible PSCs without sacrificing rollability. Very high transparent (93.67% in 400–800 nm) and low sheet resistance (~10 Ω sq−1) ZnO/Ag(O)/ZnO electrodes were implemented as the flexible substrates. In systematically comparison with ZnO/Ag/ZnO electrodes, small amount of oxygen induced continuous metallic films with lower thickness, which resulted in higher transmittance and lower sheet resistance. To increase the light absorption of thin active layer (maintain the high rollability of active layer), a unique platform simultaneously utilizing both a transparent electrode configuration based on an ultrathin oxygen-doped Ag, Ag(O), and film and plasmonic Ag@SiO2 nanoparticles were designed for fully leveraging the advantages of duel microresonant cavity and plasmonic effects to enhance light absorbance in photoactive polymers. A combination of the ZnO/Ag(O)/ZnO electrode and Ag@SiO2 nanoparticles significantly increased the short-current density of PSCs to 17.98 mA cm−2 with enhancing the photoluminescence of PTB7-Th film. The flexible PSC using the optimized configuration provided an average PCE of 8.04% for flexible PSCs, which was increased by 36.27% compared to that of the PSC merely using a conventional transparent indium tin oxide electrode.

Probe and Control of the Tiny Amounts of Dopants in BHJ Film Enable Higher Performance of Polymer Solar Cells.

To achieve efficient doping in polymer solar cells (PSCs), the dopant needs to be selectively located in the binary components of a bulk heterojunction (BHJ) film according to its polarity. The rarely studied n-type dopant is thoroughly examined in a simplified planar heterojunction (PHJ) device to address its favored location in the active layer. Results show that the n-dopant distribution in the acceptor layer or at the donor/acceptor interface produces enhanced device performance, whereas it harms the device when located in the donor layer. Based on the results, the benefit of n-type doping is then transferred to the highly efficient BHJ devices via a sequential coating procedure. The performance improvement is closely linked to the variations in the dopant's location in the BHJ film, which is carefully examined by the synchrotron techniques with delicate chemical sensitivity. More interestingly, the sequential coating procedure can be easily extended to the p-doped device only by changing the dopant's polarity in the middle layer. These findings pave the way for ambipolar doping in PSCs and enable performance improvement by molecular doping within the expectations.

Quantitative Determination of the Vertical Segregation and Molecular Ordering of PBDB-T/ITIC Blend Films with Solvent Additives

The vertical component distribution of bulk heterojunction (BHJ) active film shows a significant impact on determining the device performance in polymer solar cells (PSCs). Processing solvent additives are well known for regulating the BHJ active layer morphology; however, there are few reports regarding the quantitative evaluation of the effect. Herein, a study of the quantitative determination of the vertical segregation in combination of molecular ordering of PBDB-T/ITIC blend films with various 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO) contents is provided. A 0.5% (volume ratio) DIO-added blend film achieves the highest power conversion efficiency of 10.75%. The reduced performance of the PSCs resulted from the excessive vertical component segregation and overcrystallization investigated by various techniques. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicates that DIO aggravates the PBDB-T enrichment region at the air side. Neutron reflectivity further quantitatively figures out the phase separation effect. Although increased crystallinity of ITIC and a higher face-on ratio of PBDB-T in active layer were obtained with increased DIO content approved by grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS), the enhanced vertical distribution along with the enhanced crystal size of ITIC leads to the reduced performance of the PSCs due to the reduced carrier transportation paths between donor and acceptor.

Effects of the Isomerized Thiophene-Fused Ending Groups on the Performances of Twisted Non-Fullerene Acceptor-Based Polymer Solar Cells.

Recently, benefiting from the merits of small-molecule acceptors (NFAs), polymer solar cells (PSCs) have achieved tremendous advances. From the perspective of the structural characteristics of the π-conjugated acceptor-donor-acceptor (A-D-A) type of organic molecules, the backbone's planarity and the terminal groups and their substituents have strong influences on the performances of the constructed NFAs. Through enlarging the dihedral angle of the conjugated main chain of NFAs, a certain degree of enhancement of photovoltaic parameters has been achieved. To further probe the influences of ending groups on the performances of nonplanar NFAs, we synthesized two new NFAs i-cc23 and i-cc34 with isomerized thiophene-fused ending groups and a twisted π-conjugated main chain. Compared to i-cc23 containing the 2-(6-oxo-5,6-dihydro-4H-cyclopenta[b]thiophen-4-ylidene)malononitrile ending group, the acceptor i-cc34 containing 2-(6-oxo-5,6-dihydro-4H-cyclopenta[c]thiophen-4-ylidene)malononitrile has a relatively higher molar extinction coefficient, bathochromic-shifted absorption spectrum, and deepened energy levels. When mixed with PBDB-T in solar cells, the i-cc23-based device achieved an excellent open-circuit voltage (VOC) of 1.10 V and a moderate power conversion efficiency of 7.34%. Although the VOC of the i-cc34-related device was decreased to 0.96 V, the short-circuit current density and fill factor were improved, giving rise to an enhanced efficiency of 9.51%. Apart from the distinct photovoltaic performances, the two isomer-based devices exhibit a high radiative efficiency of 8 × 10-4, leading to a very small nonradiative loss of 0.19 V. Our results emphasize the importance of the isomerized thiophene-fused ending groups on the performances of nonplanar NFA-based PSCs.

Bis(thien‐2‐yl)‐2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole‐diketopyrrolopyrrole‐based acceptor–acceptor conjugated polymers: Design, synthesis, and the synergistic effect of the substituent on their solar cell properties

AbstractThree acceptor–acceptor conjugated copolymers (TBT‐DPP, FTBT‐DPP, and HFTBT‐DPP) with different substituent groups have been synthesized with palladium‐catalyzed Stille coupling condensation polymerization assisted with microwave. Polymer solar cells (PSCs) based on these copolymers as the electron donors and PC71BM as the acceptor have been fabricated. The synergistic effect of the substituent between two fluorine atoms and hexyl alkyl chains in bis(thien‐2‐yl)‐2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole fragment on their solar cell properties has been investigated. Both the fluorine atoms and the synergistic effect can improve the solubility of the polymers effectively while the excellent thermal stability properties are still retained. Two fluorine atoms (polymer FTBT‐DPP) increased the power conversion efficiency of the PSCs twice compared with TBT‐DPP (without substituent). The synergistic effect (polymer HFTBT‐DPP) decreased that seriously to zero. Density function theory calculations showed that the conjugation level of the polymer backbone is one of key factors. It demonstrates that the synergistic effect of fluorine atoms and alkyl chains in the same fragment does not always work well in improving the PSCs performance.

Fused ring non-fullerene acceptors with benzothiophene dioxide end groups and their side chain effect investigations

The development of small molecule-based non-fullerene acceptors (NF-SMAs) greatly advanced the performances of polymer solar cells (PSCs) in recent years. As the foreseeability of commercializing this technology in the future, interest in reducing the materials cost is rising. To this end, efforts have been made in this work on exploring the usage of commercially available chemical segment of benzothiophene dioxide (BC) in constructing efficient NF-SMAs. Thus, we designed and synthesized two BC-based NF-SMAs, which showed high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 7.59% also by device engineering and side chain engineering. Our work revealed the full potential of using BC end groups in constructing high-performance NF-SMAs and demonstrated the application of side chain engineering in tuning material properties and performances.

Effect of colloid aggregation characteristic on ZnO interface layer and photovoltaic performance of polymer solar cells

Abstract ZnO as a classical n-type semiconductor oxide is widely used as the electron transport layer for high-efficiency polymer solar cells by using solution processing. To study the effect of ZnO colloid aggregation size on the morphology of ZnO interface layer and photovoltaic performance of polymer solar cells. The ZnO colloid aggregation size was adjusted by aging time, and the PTB7-Th:PC71BM solar cells with various ZnO interface layers were fabricated. The results showed that morphology, structure and property of ZnO interface layer were depended on the ZnO colloid particle size, and then determined the photoelectric performance of the PTB7-Th:PC71BM solar cell. The best performance of PTB7-Th:PC71BM solar cell with 10.21% was obtained when the ZnO precursor solution was set at 2 h aging. The ZnO interface layer with good morphology and appropriate energy level improved the mobility and lifetime of charge carrier. Moreover, it also attributed good interface contact between the ZnO layer and the PTB7-Th:PC71BM active layer, which enhanced the electron transfer and reduced the charge recombination at the interface.

Improving light harvesting and charge extraction of polymer solar cells upon buffer layer doping

It is an important strategy to improve the performance of polymer solar cells (PSCs) by incorporating metal nanoparticles into functional layers. Herein, gold (Au)@titanium dioxide (TiO2) plasmonic core-shell nanoparticles (PCSNPs) are synthesized and doped into zinc oxide (ZnO) as hybrid electron transport layer in PSCs. Improved light trapping and electrical conductivity are achieved through localized surface plasma resonance of Au@TiO2 PCSNPs. As a result, the short-circuit current density is apparently enhanced, while remaining the unchanged open-circuit voltage. The maximum PCE of 8.801% is obtained when 1.5 wt% Au@TiO2 PCSNPs are introduced into the ZnO layer. This study provides a new inspiration for the development of high efficiency PSCs.

Embedded plasmonic nanoprisms in polymer solar cells: Band-edge resonance for photocurrent enhancement

Introduction of metallic nanoparticles that can generate the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) has been considered as a prominent option for enhancing the performance of polymer solar cells (PSCs), as the radiative scattering and field confinement by the SPR can extend the effective photon traveling length and manipulate the spatial absorption profile. Despite many successful efforts to favorably exploit metallic nanoparticles, further studies of their effects on the PSC performance have been demanded to achieve the full benefit from them. Here, we systematically investigate the optical and photovoltaic performances of PSCs with disorderly distributed silver nanoprisms embedded in the photoactive material. Due to the superior properties of the plasmonic scattering of this class of nanoparticles, a significant improvement of photon absorption is gained from the devices with silver nanoprisms, particularly in the wavelength range of substandard absorption property including the band-edge wavelengths. While such absorption improvement can be obviously reinforced as an increase in the particle density, its level becomes saturated and decayed eventually because of the concurrently promoted photon loss by plasmonic absorption. At the optimal configurations of silver nanoprisms for the productive light trapping effect, the incorporated PSC devices present a photocurrent of ∼17.76 mA/cm2 and a power conversion efficiency of ∼9.68%, where their net increase ratios are ∼10% and ∼13% compared to the reference PSC devices, respectively. Details of numerical modeling and experiments for both metal nanoprisms and PSC devices offer an optimum route to tailoring metallic nanoparticles for high-performance PSC systems.

Rational design of a novel isoindigo-based conjugated terpolymer with panchromatic absorption and its application to polymer solar cells

In this study, a panchromatic absorptive conjugated terpolymer, BDTID-BDT3MT, is synthesized, which consists of electron-donating benzodithiophene (BDT), isoindigo (ID) as a strong electron-accepting unit, and methyl-3-thiophenecarboxylate (3 MT) as a weak electron-accepting unit. By combining these three monomers into the structure of a conjugated terpolymer, the absorption spectrum of BDTID-BDT3MT is induced to exhibit an unusually broad, strong, and uniform band in the wavelength interval from 300 to 750 nm, which helps achieving highly efficient light harvesting under solar illumination. The intriguing panchromatic absorption behavior of BDTID-BDT3MT was explained on the basis of theoretical calculations using simplified repeating units. Polymer solar cells (PSCs) based on BDTID-BDT3MT as a donating polymer and non-fullerene acceptors (e.g., ITIC-4F) exhibited a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 5.38%, high open circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.88 V, and short circuit current density (Jsc) of 13.74 mA/cm2, while PSCs based on ternary blend systems consisting of BDTID, BDT3MT, and ITIC-4F exhibited lower PCE and Jsc of 3.74% and 11.15 mA/cm2, respectively. The superior performance of PSCs based on BDTID-BDT3MT can be attributed to their high light harvesting efficiencies and relatively more favorable nano-phase film morphologies. Our results establish that BDT, ID, and 3 MT units serve as useful building blocks in the structure of conjugated terpolymers due to their remarkably broad panchromatic absorption band.