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A simple structure copolymer donor based on carboxylated benzodithiophene for polymer solar cells

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Abstract

The design and development of low-cost and efficient photovoltaic materials remain a major challenge for the research and application of polymer solar cells (PSCs). Therefore, developing efficient photovoltaic polymers with simple structure and easy preparation has become an important research topic. Here we report a facilely synthesized electron-donating polymer X1 with a simple chemical structure, which is composed of carboxylated benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene (BDT) and thiophene unit. The carboxylate substituents on the BDT unit endowed the polymer with appropriate solubility, low-lying highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy level, and superior absorption. The PSCs based on X1 as donor showed a high power conversion efficiency of 16.6%, with a remarkable short-circuit current density of 27.07 mA cm−2. These results demonstrated that X1 is a highly promising candidate for low-cost and efficient PSCs. Furthermore, this study revealed the potential of carboxylated BDT as an effective building block in the research and development of high-performance photovoltaic materials.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51773046), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, and the School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, 710119, China

    Xiaochen Wang, Rui Zhao, Zicheng Ding, Shengzhong Frank Liu & Yongfang Li

  2. Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Advanced Energy Devices, Shaanxi Engineering Lab for Advanced Energy Technology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, 710119, China

    Zicheng Ding & Shengzhong Frank Liu

  3. Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China

    Yongfang Li

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  1. Xiaochen Wang
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  2. Rui Zhao
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  3. Zicheng Ding
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  4. Shengzhong Frank Liu
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  5. Yongfang Li
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Correspondence to Xiaochen Wang.

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Supporting information The supporting information is available online at http://chem.scichina.com and http://link.springer.com/journal/11426. The supporting materials are published as submitted, without typesetting or editing. The responsibility for scientific accuracy and content remains entirely with the authors.

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Wang, X., Zhao, R., Ding, Z. et al. A simple structure copolymer donor based on carboxylated benzodithiophene for polymer solar cells. Sci. China Chem. 65, 1775–1781 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11426-022-1316-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11426-022-1316-6

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