Donor−Acceptor Poly(thiophene-block-perylene diimide) Copolymers: Synthesis and Solar Cell Fabrication

Abstract

Donor-acceptor diblock copolymers, composed of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (rrP3HT) as the electron donor block and poly(perylene diimide acrylate) (PPDA) as the electron acceptor block, were prepared and used to fabricate a solar cell. Vinyl-terminated rrP3HT was synthesized by Grignard metathesis polymerization and converted to an alkoxyamine macroinitiator. This polythiophene macroinitiator was used in controlled free radical polymerization of a perylene diimide-containing acrylate. The targeted donor-acceptor diblock copolymers were prepared with low-to-moderate polydispersity indices (1.2-1.4) and molecular weights sufficiently high for producing films by spin-coating. These copolymers showed efficient photoluminescence quenching in the solid state, indicative of charge separation, and were used to produce a solar cell with power conversion efficiency of 0.49%.

On the morphology of polymer‐based photovoltaics

“…130,131 Emrick and coworkers also visited P3HT-perylene bisimide diblock copolymers. 132 A typical example of the use of BCPs in the active layer of OPVs can be found in the work of Tajima and coworkers. They developed a Diblock copolymers of P3HT with one block having pendant fullerene [ Fig.…”

Block copolymer strategies for solar cell technology

“…It is, therefore, essential to postprocess after deposition of the block copolymer thin film, as shown in Figure 20, where solvent annealing was used to order the block copolymer. 143 Mü ller et al 206 synthesized a diblock copolymer of poly(3-hexylthiophene)-block-polyethylene (P3HT-b-PE) and observed that this system has good conductive properties alongside mechanical toughness, both qualities that are desirable for flexible solar cells. Although not strictly concerned with making OPVs from this material, it shows the possibilities of a double crystalline diblock system.…”

“…7(f)], 180 and of Russell and Emrick [ Fig. 7(h)] 143 but with different chain-ends and linking groups. They found that the higher molecular weight polymer had improved charge transport properties, which they correlated with increases in the hole carrier mobility due to an increase in crystallite domain sizes.…”

“…The aforementioned P3HT-b-PPDA prepared by Zhang et al, 143 shown in Figure 7(h), was characterized as thin films using AFM and TEM. This showed $ 25 nm wide fibrils that were microns in length following solvent annealing.…”

Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(3-hexylthiophene)-b-Polystyrene for Photovoltaic Application

“…Several attempts have been carried out in order to obtain ideal morphology and high device performance. For example, poly(3-alkylthiophene) based block copolymers containing a polyacrylate block with perylene bisimide pendant groups were investigated [12,13]. However conversion efficiencies were still lower than that of the conventional P3HT/PCBM composite indicating that further investigations, including molecular design and process for film fabrication, are required for improving performance.…”