Furan-based liquid-crystalline small-molecule donor guest improving the photovoltaic performance of organic solar cells with amorphous packing

Introducing liquid-crystalline small-molecule donors (SMDs) into binary systems based on the strong intermolecular interactions of SMDs is a facile and effective strategy to tune active layer morphology improve performance organic solar cells (OSCs). Contrary conventional understanding, this research proposes new for ternary OSCs implicating that “weakly crystalline materials can also optimize performance”. Herein, we designed synthesized two SMDs, Z1 Z2, benzodifuran (BDF) units. The amorphous Z2-incorporated devices present an unexpectedly improved power conversion efficiency (PCE) > 18% with good stability. By contrast, highly ordered Z1-based possess significantly depressed efficiency. Multiple characterizations reveal Z2-based blend films miscibility efficient charge transport. This novel selection third component significant fabrication high-efficiency OSCs.