High-Performance Organic Solar Cells with Efficient Semiconducting Small Molecules Containing an Electron-Rich Benzodithiophene Derivative

Abstract

High-performance organic semiconductors based on an electron-rich alkylsilylethynyl benzodithiophene (TIPSBDT) core were newly synthesized and characterized for use in solution-processed small-molecule organic solar cells. The rigid and extended if-conjugation of the TIPSBDT motifs facilitates intramolecular charge transfer and intermolecular pi-pi packing interactions of semiconducting small molecules in the BHJ film enhanced by processing additives and induces deep HOMO levels producing high open-circuit voltage of similar to 1.0 V, exhibiting notable power conversion efficiency of 5.84% from a bulk-heterojunction film with PC61BM.