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Single-layered organic photovoltaics with double cascading charge transport pathways: 18% efficiencies

Author

Listed:
  • Ming Zhang

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)

  • Lei Zhu

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)

  • Guanqing Zhou

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)

  • Tianyu Hao

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)

  • Chaoqun Qiu

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)

  • Zhe Zhao

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)

  • Qin Hu

    (University of Massachusetts)

  • Bryon W. Larson

    (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

  • Haiming Zhu

    (Zhejiang University)

  • Zaifei Ma

    (Donghua University)

  • Zheng Tang

    (Donghua University)

  • Wei Feng

    (State Key Laboratory of Fluorinated Functional Membrane Materials and Dongyue Future Hydrogen Energy Materials Company)

  • Yongming Zhang

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University
    State Key Laboratory of Fluorinated Functional Membrane Materials and Dongyue Future Hydrogen Energy Materials Company)

  • Thomas P. Russell

    (University of Massachusetts)

  • Feng Liu

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University
    State Key Laboratory of Fluorinated Functional Membrane Materials and Dongyue Future Hydrogen Energy Materials Company)

Abstract

The chemical structure of donors and acceptors limit the power conversion efficiencies achievable with active layers of binary donor-acceptor mixtures. Here, using quaternary blends, double cascading energy level alignment in bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaic active layers are realized, enabling efficient carrier splitting and transport. Numerous avenues to optimize light absorption, carrier transport, and charge-transfer state energy levels are opened by the chemical constitution of the components. Record-breaking PCEs of 18.07% are achieved where, by electronic structure and morphology optimization, simultaneous improvements of the open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current and fill factor occur. The donor and acceptor chemical structures afford control over electronic structure and charge-transfer state energy levels, enabling manipulation of hole-transfer rates, carrier transport, and non-radiative recombination losses.

Suggested Citation

  • Ming Zhang & Lei Zhu & Guanqing Zhou & Tianyu Hao & Chaoqun Qiu & Zhe Zhao & Qin Hu & Bryon W. Larson & Haiming Zhu & Zaifei Ma & Zheng Tang & Wei Feng & Yongming Zhang & Thomas P. Russell & Feng Liu, 2021. "Single-layered organic photovoltaics with double cascading charge transport pathways: 18% efficiencies," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-20580-8
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20580-8
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    Cited by:

    1. Xuelin Wang & Qianqian Sun & Jinhua Gao & Jian Wang & Chunyu Xu & Xiaoling Ma & Fujun Zhang, 2021. "Recent Progress of Organic Photovoltaics with Efficiency over 17%," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-27, July.
    2. Yafei Wang & Zhong Zheng & Jianqiu Wang & Pengqing Bi & Zhihao Chen & Junzhen Ren & Cunbin An & Shaoqing Zhang & Jianhui Hou, 2023. "Organic laser power converter for efficient wireless micro power transfer," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-8, December.
    3. Qi, Ji & Wang, Xuejian & Yang, Decao & Li, Gongping, 2024. "Feasibility study on radioisotope-powered thermophotovoltaic/thermoelectric hybrid power generation system used in deep-sea: From design to experiment," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 358(C).
    4. Jing Wang & Xudong Jiang & Hongbo Wu & Guitao Feng & Hanyu Wu & Junyu Li & Yuanping Yi & Xunda Feng & Zaifei Ma & Weiwei Li & Koen Vandewal & Zheng Tang, 2021. "Increasing donor-acceptor spacing for reduced voltage loss in organic solar cells," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-9, December.
    5. Rui Zeng & Lei Zhu & Ming Zhang & Wenkai Zhong & Guanqing Zhou & Jiaxing Zhuang & Tianyu Hao & Zichun Zhou & Libo Zhou & Nicolai Hartmann & Xiaonan Xue & Hao Jing & Fei Han & Yiming Bai & Hongbo Wu & , 2023. "All-polymer organic solar cells with nano-to-micron hierarchical morphology and large light receiving angle," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    6. Hongbo Wu & Hao Lu & Yungui Li & Xin Zhou & Guanqing Zhou & Hailin Pan & Hanyu Wu & Xunda Feng & Feng Liu & Koen Vandewal & Wolfgang Tress & Zaifei Ma & Zhishan Bo & Zheng Tang, 2024. "Decreasing exciton dissociation rates for reduced voltage losses in organic solar cells," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    7. Yuming Wang & Jianwei Yu & Rui Zhang & Jun Yuan & Sandra Hultmark & Catherine E. Johnson & Nathaniel P. Gallop & Bernhard Siegmund & Deping Qian & Huotian Zhang & Yingping Zou & Martijn Kemerink & Art, 2023. "Origins of the open-circuit voltage in ternary organic solar cells and design rules for minimized voltage losses," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 8(9), pages 978-988, September.
    8. Yunhao Cai & Qian Li & Guanyu Lu & Hwa Sook Ryu & Yun Li & Hui Jin & Zhihao Chen & Zheng Tang & Guanghao Lu & Xiaotao Hao & Han Young Woo & Chunfeng Zhang & Yanming Sun, 2022. "Vertically optimized phase separation with improved exciton diffusion enables efficient organic solar cells with thick active layers," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    9. Jiehao Fu & Patrick W. K. Fong & Heng Liu & Chieh-Szu Huang & Xinhui Lu & Shirong Lu & Maged Abdelsamie & Tim Kodalle & Carolin M. Sutter-Fella & Yang Yang & Gang Li, 2023. "19.31% binary organic solar cell and low non-radiative recombination enabled by non-monotonic intermediate state transition," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    10. Cheng Gong & Haiyun Li & Huaxin Wang & Cong Zhang & Qixin Zhuang & Awen Wang & Zhiyuan Xu & Wensi Cai & Ru Li & Xiong Li & Zhigang Zang, 2024. "Silver coordination-induced n-doping of PCBM for stable and efficient inverted perovskite solar cells," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    11. Guilong Cai & Yuhao Li & Yuang Fu & Hua Yang & Le Mei & Zhaoyang Nie & Tengfei Li & Heng Liu & Yubin Ke & Xun-Li Wang & Jean-Luc Brédas & Man-Chung Tang & Xiankai Chen & Xiaowei Zhan & Xinhui Lu, 2024. "Deuteration-enhanced neutron contrasts to probe amorphous domain sizes in organic photovoltaic bulk heterojunction films," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    12. Christopher Wöpke & Clemens Göhler & Maria Saladina & Xiaoyan Du & Li Nian & Christopher Greve & Chenhui Zhu & Kaila M. Yallum & Yvonne J. Hofstetter & David Becker-Koch & Ning Li & Thomas Heumüller &, 2022. "Traps and transport resistance are the next frontiers for stable non-fullerene acceptor solar cells," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.
    13. Baobing Fan & Wei Gao & Xuanhao Wu & Xinxin Xia & Yue Wu & Francis R. Lin & Qunping Fan & Xinhui Lu & Wen Jung Li & Wei Ma & Alex K.-Y. Jen, 2022. "Importance of structural hinderance in performance–stability equilibrium of organic photovoltaics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.

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