High-Molecular-Weight Electroactive Polymer Additives for Simultaneous Enhancement of Photovoltaic Efficiency and Mechanical Robustness in High-Performance Polymer Solar Cells

Abstract

The development of small-molecule acceptors (SMAs) has significantly enhanced the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of polymer solar cells (PSCs); however, the inferior mechanical properties of SMA-based PSCs often limit their long-term stability and application in wearable power generators. Herein, we demonstrate a simple and effective strategy for enhancing the mechanical robustness and PCE of PSCs by incorporating a high-molecular-weight (MW) polymer acceptor (P-A, P(NDI2OD-T2)). The addition of 10-20 wt % P-A leads to a more than 4-fold increase in the mechanical ductility of the SMA-based PSCs in terms of the crack onset strain (COS). At the same time, the incorporation of P-A into the active layer improves the charge transport and recombination properties, increasing the PCE of the PSC from 14.6 to 15.4%. The added P(A)s act as tie molecules, providing mechanical and electrical bridges between adjacent domains of SMAs. Thus, for the first time, we produce highly efficient and mechanically robust PSCs with a 15% PCE and 10% COS at the same time, thereby demonstrating their great potential as stretchable or wearable power generators. To understand the origin of the dual enhancements realized by P-A, we investigate the influence of the P-A content on electrical, structural, and morphological properties of the PSCs.