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Effect of Varying Thiophene Units on Charge‐Transport and Photovoltaic Properties of Poly(phenylene ethynylene)‐ alt ‐poly(phenylene vinylene) Polymers
Author(s) -
Adam Getachew,
Yohannes Teketel,
White Matthew,
Montaigne Alberto,
Ulbricht Christoph,
Birckner Eckhard,
Rathgeber Silke,
Kästner Christian,
Hoppe Harald,
Sariciftci Niyazi Serdar,
Egbe Daniel Ayuk Mbi
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
macromolecular chemistry and physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.57
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1521-3935
pISSN - 1022-1352
DOI - 10.1002/macp.201400207
Subject(s) - thiophene , phenylene , materials science , polymer , polymer chemistry , conductive polymer , chemistry , organic chemistry , composite material
Poly(phenylene ethynylene)‐ alt ‐poly(phenylene vinylene)s (PPE‐PPVs) with various thiophene units (thiophene, bithiophene, and 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) at the X position, with the general backbone design (PhCC X CCPhCHCHPhCHCH), bearing identical solubilizing side chains at the phenylene rings of the polymers, are synthesized to study the effect of this structural alteration on the properties such as the photophysics, the electrochemical properties, the charge‐carrier mobility, and the morphology of the materials and its impact on their photovoltaic performance. The polymers are obtained in good yields with reasonable molecular weights and show solubility in ordinary organic solvents required for solution‐processing applications. The polymer with a basic thiophene ring at the X positions shows the highest open‐circuit voltage ( V OC of 930 mV) and the polymer with a bithiophene unit at the X position shows the highest short‐circuit current density and charge‐carrier mobility, whereas the polymer with 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene shows the lowest photovoltaic performance.