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Exploring the Robustness of Organic Photovoltaics: Materials, Processing, and Stability
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Exploring the Robustness of Organic Photovoltaics: Materials, Processing, and Stability
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Dissertation
Exploring the Robustness of Organic Photovoltaics: Materials, Processing, and Stability
2022
Overview
Due to their unique properties, organic photovoltaics (OPVs) are more suitable than their inorganic counterparts in niche technologies requiring properties like flexibility, low-light/indoor efficiency, semi-transparency, and light weight. However, despite rapidly approaching the oft-cited 20% PCE benchmark for commercial viability, OPVs still lack the low cost and long lifetimes required for even niche applications. In this dissertation, we explored the contributions of processing, materials, and stability to the potential commercial viability of OPVs. We first aimed to demonstrate potential cost reduction through robustness against material variability. Through this and previous work with collaborators, we found that the morphologies (and PCEs) of systems using donor polymer PBnDT-FTAZ with various acceptors were insensitive to MWs ranging 30 kg/mol to 120 kg/mol. Such insensitivity can eliminate the need for tight MW control during synthesis, reducing costs. We then investigated the tolerance of OPVs to impurities. If material does not have to be entirely pure, this could be another cost reduction avenue. Using P3HT:PC61BM as a model system, we investigated the effect and ultimate fate of solid additives. We found the system was remarkably tolerant to a gamut of acidic, basic, neutral, and even ionic species. Furthermore, despite high melting and boiling points of these solid additives, they were largely absent in the bulk active layer following device fabrication. Thus, not only did this study demonstrate the remarkable additive tolerance of P3HT:PC61BM, but it also revealed that even high melting and boiling point solids may be volatilized and removed during typical OPV processing. Lastly, we explored methods of stabilizing morphology to increase lifetime. Utilizing P3HT copolymers integrating thermocleavable side chains (TCS), we demonstrated a polymer:fullerene system with remarkable thermal stability while maintaining PCE ~1.5%. As opposed to previous work wherein 100% of side chains were thermocleavable, this work demonstrated that a TCS density of 60% was more than sufficient for thermal stability while still affording appreciable PCE. Together, these works can inform OPV material selection and processing towards manufacture and use in commercial applications.
