Open AccessOrganic Solar Cells with Controlled Nanostructures Based on Microphase Separation of Fullerene-Attached Thiophene-Selenophene Heteroblock Copolymers
Author(s) -
Peihong Chen,
Kyohei Nakano,
Kumiko Suzuki,
Kazuhito Hashimoto,
Tomoka Kikitsu,
Daisuke Hashizume,
Tomoyuki Koganezawa,
Kazuo Tajima
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
acs applied materials and interfaces
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.535
H-Index - 228
eISSN - 1944-8252
pISSN - 1944-8244
DOI - 10.1021/acsami.6b14629
Subject(s) - materials science , copolymer , fullerene , thiophene , organic solar cell , nanostructure , polymer , polymer chemistry , annealing (glass) , chemical engineering , condensation polymer , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , composite material , chemistry , engineering
Heteroblock copolymers consisting of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and fullerene-attached poly(3-alkylselenophene) (T-b-Se-PCBP) were synthesized for organic photovoltaic applications by quasi-living catalyst transfer polycondensation and subsequent conversion reactions. Characterization of the polymers confirmed the formation of well-defined diblock structures with high loading of the fullerene at the side chain (∼40 wt %). Heteroblock copolymer cast as a thin film showed a clear microphase-separated nanostructure approximately 30 nm in repeating unit after thermal annealing, which is identical to the microphase-separated nanostructure of diblock copolymer consisting of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and fullerene-attached poly(3-alkylthiophene) (T-b-T-PCBP). These heteroblock copolymers provide an ideal platform for investigating the effects of nanostructures and interfacial energetics on the performance of organic photovoltaic devices.