Solution-processed organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs) hold great promise to enable roll-to-roll printing of environmentally friendly, mechanically flexible and cost-effective photovoltaic devices. Nevertheless, many high-performing systems show best power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) with a thin active layer (thickness is ~100 nm) that is difficult to translate to roll-to-roll processing with high reproducibility. Here we report a new molecular donor, benzodithiophene terthiophene rhodanine (BTR), which exhibits good processability, nematic liquid crystalline behaviour and excellent optoelectronic properties. A maximum PCE of 9.3% is achieved under AM 1.5G solar irradiation, with fill factor reaching 77%, rarely achieved in solution-processed OPVs. Particularly promising is the fact that BTR-based devices with active layer thicknesses up to 400 nm can still afford high fill factor of ~70% and high PCE of ~8%. Together, the results suggest, with better device architectures for longer device lifetime, BTR is an ideal candidate for mass production of OPVs.

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Utilizing dynamic self-assembly and self-sorting to obtain large-area, molecularly precise monolayered structures represents a promising approach toward two-dimensional supramolecular organic frameworks (2D SOF) or 2D supramolecular polymers. So far, related approaches suffer from small domain sizes, fragility and weak long-range internal order. Here we report on the self-assembly of a host–guest enhanced donor–acceptor interaction, consisting of a tris(methoxynaphthyl)-substituted truxene spacer, and a naphthalene diimide substituted with N-methyl viologenyl moieties as donor and acceptor monomers, respectively, in combination with cucurbit[8]uril as host monomer toward monolayers of an unprecedented 2D SOF. Featuring orthogonal solubility, the participating molecules self-assemble at a liquid–liquid interface, yielding exceptionally large-area, insoluble films, which were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and optical microscopy to be monolayers with a thickness of 1.8 nm, homogeneously covering areas up to 0.25 cm2, and featuring the ability to be free-standing over holes of 10 μm2. Characterization with ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering allowed for confirmation of a successful complexation of all three monomers toward an internal long-range order and gave indications to an expected hexagonal superstructure. Our results extend the existing variety of two-dimensional soft nanomaterials by a versatile supramolecular approach, whereas the possibility of varying the functional monomers is supposed to open adaptability to different applications like membranes, sensors, molecular sieves, and optoelectronics.

We consider the equations which describe the motion of a viscous compressible fluid, taking into consideration the case of inflow and/or outflow through the boundary. By means of some a priori estimates we prove the existence of a global (in time) solution. Moreover, as a consequence of a stability result, we show that there exist a periodic solution and a stationary solution.Partially supported by G.NAFA of C.N.R. (Italy)