Publication
Title
Low bandgap polymers based on bay-annulated indigo for organic photovoltaics : enhanced sustainability in material design and solar cell fabrication
Author
Abstract
Although research in the field of organic photovoltaics (OPV) still merely focuses on efficiency, efforts to increase the sustainability of the production process and the materials encompassing the device stack are of equally crucial importance to fulfil the promises of a truly renewable source of energy. In this study, a number of steps in this direction are taken. The photoactive polymers all contain an electron-deficient building block inspired on the natural indigo dye, bay-annulated indigo, combined with electron-rich thiophene and 4H-dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]pyrrole units. The synthetic protocol (starting from indigo) is optimized and the final materials are thoroughly analyzed. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry provides detailed information on the structural composition of the polymers. Best solar cell efficiencies are obtained for polymer:fullerene blends spin-coated from a pristine non-halogenated solvent (o-xylene), which is highly recommended to reduce the ecological footprint of OPV and is imperative for large scale production and commercialization.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Organic electronics: physics, materials, applications. - London
Publication
London : 2017
ISSN
1566-1199
DOI
10.1016/J.ORGEL.2017.07.037
Volume/pages
50 (2017) , p. 264-272
ISI
000411766800036
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Project info
Fullerene-free solution-processed bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaics.
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 23.10.2017
Last edited 09.10.2023
To cite this reference