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Organoboron donor-π-acceptor chromophores for small-molecule organic solar cells

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Abstract

We introduce the use of facilely synthesizable and low-bandgap boron chromophores as donors in planar heterojunction solar cells. We show that simple changes in the compositional properties of these molecules can improve the performance of the devices. A simultaneous grafting of NO2 acceptor and N(Et2) donor groups into the molecule core causes an increase in efficiency of almost 50%. Such enhanced efficiency is mainly due to a higher photocurrent. The origin of this phenomenon is investigated.

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Acknowledgements

J.C. Nolasco is indebted to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for providing a George Foster Grant. A. Castro-Carranza acknowledges support from the University of Bremen and the FP7-PEOPLE-2012EU Marie-Curie Action COFUND “BREMEN TRAC”, project no. 600411, and from the National Council of Science and Technology CONACYT Mexico. The authors thank the support obtained from the projects: Ce-MieSol 207450/27, 2013-02 (México); Fondo Sectorial CONACYT-SENER-Sustentabilidad Energética 245754, 2014-02 (México); CONACyT Grant 293371 (Mexico) “Laboratorio Nacional de Materiales Grafénicos (LNMG)”, and Proyectos de Ciencia y Tecnología Aplicada en Temas de Frontera. Mónica Jenith C. Flores (Centro de Investigaciones en Óptica) is acknowledged for her technical assistance in chemical synthesis. This research is also a result of collaborative work in the framework of Redes Temáticas CONACYT: development of devices and low-cost sustainable technology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Energy and Semiconductor Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, 26111, Germany

    J. C. Nolasco & J. Parisi

  2. Science of Sustainable Materials, National School of Higher Studies Unit Morelia, National Autonomous University of Mexico (ENES Morelia UNAM), 58190, Morelia, Mexico

    J. C. Nolasco

  3. International Center for Young Scientists (ICYS), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0044, Japan

    J. W. Ryan

  4. Research Group of Optical Properties of Materials (GPOM), Centro de Investigaciones en Óptica A.C., A.P. 1-948, 37000, León, Guanajuato, Mexico

    M. Rodríguez, J. L. Maldonado, G. Ramos-Ortiz & O. Barbosa-Garcia

  5. Institute of Solid State Physics, Semiconductor Optics, University of Bremen, 28359, Bremen, Germany

    A. Castro-Carranza & J. Gutowski

  6. Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), 43007, Tarragona, Spain

    E. Palomares

  7. MAPEX Center of Materials and Processes, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany

    J. Gutowski

  8. Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), 08010, Barcelona, Spain

    E. Palomares

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  1. J. C. Nolasco
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  2. J. W. Ryan
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  3. M. Rodríguez
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  4. A. Castro-Carranza
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  5. J. L. Maldonado
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  6. G. Ramos-Ortiz
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  7. O. Barbosa-Garcia
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  8. J. Gutowski
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  9. E. Palomares
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  10. J. Parisi
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Correspondence to J. C. Nolasco.

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Nolasco, J.C., Ryan, J.W., Rodríguez, M. et al. Organoboron donor-π-acceptor chromophores for small-molecule organic solar cells. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 29, 16410–16415 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-018-9732-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-018-9732-6

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