A new and highly efficient cathode interlayer material for organic photovoltaics (OPVs) was produced by integrating C60fullerene monomers into ionene polymers. The power of these novel “C60‐ionenes” for interface modification enables the use of numerous high work‐function metals (e.g., silver, copper, and gold) as the cathode in efficient OPV devices. C60‐ionene boosted power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of solar cells, fabricated with silver cathodes, from 2.79 % to 10.51 % for devices with a fullerene acceptor in the active layer, and from 3.89 % to 11.04 % for devices with a non‐fullerene acceptor in the active layer, demonstrating the versatility of this interfacial layer. The introduction of fullerene moieties dramatically improved the conductivity of ionene polymers, affording devices with high efficiency by reducing charge accumulation at the cathode/active layer interface. The power of C60‐ionene to improve electron injection and extraction between metal electrodes and organic semiconductors highlights its promise to overcome energy barriers at the hard‐soft materials interface to the benefit of organic electronics.
- Award ID(s):
- 1701427
- PAR ID:
- 10064591
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Materials Chemistry C
- Volume:
- 6
- Issue:
- 14
- ISSN:
- 2050-7526
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 3621 to 3627
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Abstract A new and highly efficient cathode interlayer material for organic photovoltaics (OPVs) was produced by integrating C60fullerene monomers into ionene polymers. The power of these novel “C60‐ionenes” for interface modification enables the use of numerous high work‐function metals (e.g., silver, copper, and gold) as the cathode in efficient OPV devices. C60‐ionene boosted power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of solar cells, fabricated with silver cathodes, from 2.79 % to 10.51 % for devices with a fullerene acceptor in the active layer, and from 3.89 % to 11.04 % for devices with a non‐fullerene acceptor in the active layer, demonstrating the versatility of this interfacial layer. The introduction of fullerene moieties dramatically improved the conductivity of ionene polymers, affording devices with high efficiency by reducing charge accumulation at the cathode/active layer interface. The power of C60‐ionene to improve electron injection and extraction between metal electrodes and organic semiconductors highlights its promise to overcome energy barriers at the hard‐soft materials interface to the benefit of organic electronics.
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Abstract Radical chemistries have attracted burgeoning attention due to their intriguing technological applications in organic electronics, optoelectronics, and magneto‐responsive systems. However, the potential of these magnetically active glassy polymers to transport spin‐selective currents has not been demonstrated. Here, the spin‐transport characteristics of the radical polymer poly(4‐glycidyloxy‐2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine‐1‐oxyl) (PTEO) allow for sustained spin‐selective currents when incorporated into typical device geometries with magnetically polarized electrodes. Annealing thin films of PTEO above its glass transition temperature results in a giant magnetoresistance effect (i.e., an MR of ≈80%) at 4 K. Additionally, ferromagnetic resonance spin‐pumping results in a relatively large effective spin‐mixing conductance of 1.18 × 1019m−2at the NiFe/PTEO interface. Due to the large spin‐density and radical‐radical exchange interactions, there is effective propagation of pure spin currents through PTEO in the NiFe/PTEO/Pd multilayer devices. This results in the transport of spin current over long distances with a spin diffusion length of 90.4 nm. The spin diffusion length and spin mixing conductance values surpass those reported in inorganic and metallic systems and are comparable to conventional doped conjugated polymers. This is the first example of spin transport in a nonconjugated radical polymer, and these findings underscore the promising spin‐transporting potential of radical polymers.
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Abstract Polymer zwitterions were synthesized by nucleophilic ring‐opening of 3,3′‐(but‐2‐ene‐1,4‐diyl)bis(1,2‐oxathiolane 2,2‐dioxide) (a bis‐sultone) with functional perylene diimide (PDI) or fullerene monomers. Integration of these polymers into solar cell devices as cathode interlayers boosted efficiencies of fullerene‐based organic photovoltaics (OPVs) from 2.75 % to 10.74 %, and of non‐fullerene‐based OPVs from 4.25 % to 10.10 %, demonstrating the versatility of these interlayer materials in OPVs. The fullerene‐containing polymer zwitterion (
C60‐PZ ) showed a higher interfacial dipole (Δ) value and electron mobility than its PDI counterpart (PDI‐PZ ), affording solar cells with high efficiency. The power ofPDI‐PZ andC60‐PZ to improve electron injection and extraction processes when positioned between metal electrodes and organic semiconductors highlights their promise to overcome energy barriers at the hard‐soft materials interface of organic electronics. -
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Abstract Polymer zwitterions were synthesized by nucleophilic ring‐opening of 3,3′‐(but‐2‐ene‐1,4‐diyl)bis(1,2‐oxathiolane 2,2‐dioxide) (a bis‐sultone) with functional perylene diimide (PDI) or fullerene monomers. Integration of these polymers into solar cell devices as cathode interlayers boosted efficiencies of fullerene‐based organic photovoltaics (OPVs) from 2.75 % to 10.74 %, and of non‐fullerene‐based OPVs from 4.25 % to 10.10 %, demonstrating the versatility of these interlayer materials in OPVs. The fullerene‐containing polymer zwitterion (
C60‐PZ ) showed a higher interfacial dipole (Δ) value and electron mobility than its PDI counterpart (PDI‐PZ ), affording solar cells with high efficiency. The power ofPDI‐PZ andC60‐PZ to improve electron injection and extraction processes when positioned between metal electrodes and organic semiconductors highlights their promise to overcome energy barriers at the hard‐soft materials interface of organic electronics.
- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1039/C7TC05086K
