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Efficiency-limiting processes in OPV bulk heterojunctions of GeNIDTBT and IDT-based acceptors

The successful realization of highly efficient bulk heterojunction OPV devices requires the development of organic donor and acceptor materials with tailored properties. Recently, non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) have emerged as an alternative to the ubiquitously used fullerene derivatives. NFAs showed a rapid increase in efficiencies, now exceeding a PCE of 13%. In my thesis research, I used two small molecule IDT-based acceptors, namely O-IDTBR and O-IDTBCN, in combination with a wide bandgap donor polymer, GeNIDT-BT, as active material in BHJ solar cells and investigated their photophysical characteristics. The polymer combined with O-IDTBR as acceptor achieved a power conversion efficiency of only 2%, which is significantly lower than that obtained for the system of GeNIDT-BT: O-IDTBCN (5.3%). Using nano- to microsecond transient absorption spectroscopy, I investigated both systems and demonstrated that GeNIDT-BT:O-IDTBR exhibits more geminate recombination of interfacial charge-transfer states, leading to lower short circuit currents. Using time-delayed collection field experiments, I studied the field dependence of charge generation and its impact on the device fill factor. Overall, my results provide a qualitative understanding of the efficiency-limiting processes in both systems and their impact on device performance.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:kaust.edu.sa/oai:repository.kaust.edu.sa:10754/627964
Date16 May 2018
CreatorsAlsaggaf, Sarah
ContributorsLaquai, Frédéric, Physical Science and Engineering (PSE) Division, Baran, Derya, Inal, Sahika
Source SetsKing Abdullah University of Science and Technology
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
Rights2019-05-28, At the time of archiving, the student author of this thesis opted to temporarily restrict access to it. The full text of this thesis became available to the public after the expiration of the embargo on 2019-05-28.

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