Regulating the Photovoltaic Performance of Organic Solar Cells by Modifying the Y6-Based Non-Fullerene Acceptors: A Quantum Chemistry Study
Yu-Tong Ren
Department of Applied Physics, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Cai-Rong Zhang
Department of Applied Physics, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
Correspondence: Cai-Rong Zhang ([email protected])
Search for more papers by this authorMei-Ling Zhang
Department of Applied Physics, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
Search for more papers by this authorXiao-Meng Liu
Department of Applied Physics, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
Search for more papers by this authorJi-Jun Gong
Department of Applied Physics, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
Search for more papers by this authorYu-Hong Chen
Department of Applied Physics, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
Search for more papers by this authorZi-Jiang Liu
School of Mathematics and Physics, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorYou-Zhi Wu
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
Search for more papers by this authorHong-Shan Chen
College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
Search for more papers by this authorYu-Tong Ren
Department of Applied Physics, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Cai-Rong Zhang
Department of Applied Physics, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
Correspondence: Cai-Rong Zhang ([email protected])
Search for more papers by this authorMei-Ling Zhang
Department of Applied Physics, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
Search for more papers by this authorXiao-Meng Liu
Department of Applied Physics, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
Search for more papers by this authorJi-Jun Gong
Department of Applied Physics, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
Search for more papers by this authorYu-Hong Chen
Department of Applied Physics, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
Search for more papers by this authorZi-Jiang Liu
School of Mathematics and Physics, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorYou-Zhi Wu
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
Search for more papers by this authorHong-Shan Chen
College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
Search for more papers by this authorFunding: The authors received no specific funding for this work.
ABSTRACT
Developing novel non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) by modifying A1-DA2D-A1 Y6 molecules is an effective strategy to improve the energy conversion efficiency of organic solar cells (OSCs). To understand the mechanism of regulating the photovoltaic performance by modifying the central fused ring, end group, and inner chain segments of Y6, D18:Y6, D18:AQx-2, D18:AQx-18, D18:BTIC-γ-2CN and D18:Z9 OSCs were systematically studied based on extensive quantum chemistry calculations, and the impacts of different chemical groups on molecular properties and photovoltaic performances were analyzed. The substitution of benzothiadiazole in the central fused ring of Y6 with quinoxaline, substituting quinoxaline with phenazine, introducing benzonitriles at the end group, and phenyl groups into inner side chains enhance molecular skeleton planarity, slightly elevate the highest occupied molecular orbital energy and the lowest excitation energy, and enlarge light absorption efficiency. Introducing quinoxaline and phenyl groups causes the reduction of the electrostatic potential difference between D18 and NFAs; on the contrary, introducing phenazine and benzonitriles induces the opposite effects. Introducing quinoxaline and phenazine generates negligible effects on charge transfer (CT) energies, whereas introducing benzonitrile and the phenyl group increases CT energies. Introducing phenazine and the phenyl group generates sufficient energy difference between local excitation and CT to conquer exciton binding. The rate constants calculated using Marcus theory indicate that all molecular modifications of Y6 reduced exciton dissociation rates. However, the introduction of benzonitrile increases CT and suppresses charge recombination rates. The results reveal the inherent relationship between molecular structure and photovoltaic performance, providing the theoretical basis for the design and development of NFAs.
Open Research
Data Availability Statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Supporting Information
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