Fully asymmetric small molecule donor SMD-Aey and preparation method and application thereof
By designing the asymmetric small molecule donor SMD-Asy as the third component of the PM6:Y6 system, the morphology and charge transport of the blend film were optimized, resolving the contradiction between photovoltaic performance and tensile properties, and achieving high-efficiency photovoltaic function and mechanical flexibility, making it suitable for wearable devices.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-09
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-17
AI Technical Summary
Existing low-molecular-weight small molecules are difficult to improve the stretchability of organic solar cells while ensuring photovoltaic performance, which limits the application of wearable devices.
SMD-Asy, a fully asymmetric small molecule donor with both asymmetric main chain and side chains, was designed and synthesized as the third component of the PM6:Y6 system. It was prepared via Stille coupling reaction to optimize the morphology and charge transport pathway of the blend film.
The photovoltaic and tensile properties of the PM6:Y6 system are significantly improved. The blend film can still maintain excellent photovoltaic function under 10% tensile strain, which meets the common strain range of human skin and is suitable for wearable devices.
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Figure CN121673295A_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present application relates to the field of organic solar cells, in particular to a full-asymmetric small molecule donor SMD-Asy with asymmetric main chain and side chain and a preparation method and application thereof. BACKGROUND
[0002] Wearable electronic products are increasingly integrated into daily life. For example, electronic devices with skin tissue-like properties are not only skin-friendly and intelligent, but their functions are also constantly upgrading. However, traditional planar power supplies occupy a large volume in portable or wearable devices, limiting the stretchable integration of the devices, thereby hindering the commercial application of the next generation of wearable devices. Therefore, lightweight and stretchable organic solar cells (S-OSCs) have attracted widespread attention in the fields of textiles, artificial skin, and soft robots due to their excellent performance. S-OSCs need to have good photovoltaic performance and mechanical stretchability, and the stretchable development of the organic active layer is still a key factor limiting the performance improvement of S-OSCs.
[0003] In recent years, ternary organic solar cells (T-OSCs) have become an effective strategy to improve performance. T-OSCs usually use a binary electron donor and an electron acceptor as the main components, and add a third component material. The third component can be selected from a thermally insulating elastomer material, a highly ductile polymer with long-chain properties, or a small molecule donor. Among them, the small molecule donor can greatly improve the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of ternary organic solar cells, and also has multiple advantages such as molecular designability, high purity, and reproducible synthesis. However, the typical strain range of human skin is between 10% and 30%, and it is difficult for small molecules with low molecular weight to improve the stretchability, i.e., it is difficult to simultaneously consider photovoltaic performance and stretchability.
[0004] Therefore, it is a key technical problem to be solved at present to design a small molecule that can introduce a stretchable organic active layer and achieve excellent stretchability while ensuring that the photovoltaic performance does not decrease significantly.
[0005] The above information disclosed in the background section of this specification is only for the purpose of increasing the understanding of the background of the present application and should not be interpreted as admitting that the information constitutes prior art known to those of ordinary skill in the art. SUMMARY
[0006] To solve the problems existing in the prior art, the present application designs and synthesizes a full-asymmetric small molecule with asymmetric main chain and side chain. As the third component of the PM6:Y6 system, the molecule can significantly improve the photovoltaic performance and stretchability of PM6:Y6, thereby meeting the application requirements of wearable devices on human body parts such as the back of the hand and the arm.
[0007] A kind of full asymmetric small molecule donor SMD-Asy, the molecule includes BDTT core with π-conjugated skeleton, both sides end group is rhodamine derivative, side chain and main chain structure are asymmetric distribution, its molecular structure is as shown in formula (I); (I) A kind of preparation method of full asymmetric small molecule donor SMD-Asy, comprising the following steps: (1) construct BDTT core: prepare Grignard reagent with bromobenzene and magnesium chips under inert atmosphere, and the Grignard reagent is added with thiophene benzodithiophene-4, 9-dione, and BDTT type intermediate is obtained by hydrolysis and extraction; (2) introduce asymmetric alkoxy substituent: the BDTT type intermediate is reduced and activated under alkaline condition, and is alkylated with long chain halogenated alkane under the action of phase transfer catalyst, to obtain BDTT-OR compound with long chain alkoxy substitution; (3) construct tin precursor: the BDTT-OR compound is reacted with organic lithium reagent under inert atmosphere and low temperature condition to form lithiation intermediate, and is reacted with organic tin chloride reagent, to introduce trialkyltin group, to obtain tin precursor BDTT-Asy; (4) Stille coupling: the BDTT-Asy is subjected to Stille coupling reaction with rhodamine derivative halogen receptor unit in the presence of palladium catalyst, and full asymmetric small molecule donor SMD-Asy is obtained by extraction and purification.
[0008] Preferably, the long chain alkoxy in step (2) is branched or double branched alkoxy, and the phase transfer catalyst is tetrabutylammonium bromide.
[0009] Preferably, the organic lithium reagent in step (3) is n-butyl lithium.
[0010] Preferably, the palladium catalyst in step (4) is Pd (PPh3) 4.
[0011] Preferably, the BDTT-Asy and rhodamine derivative halogen receptor unit in step (4) are coupled at a molar ratio of 1:2.5~1:3.
[0012] The application of a kind of full asymmetric small molecule donor SMD-Asy, the SMD-Asy is applied to the active layer of organic solar cell.
[0013] Preferably, SMD-Asy is applied as the third component to PM6:Y6 active layer.
[0014] Preferably, the doping amount of SMD-Asy as the third component is 1~10%.
[0015] More preferably, the doping amount of SMD-Asy as the third component is 5%, and the PCE of the PM6:SMD-Asy(5%):Y6 ternary device obtained by corresponding can reach 16.88%, and the cracking strain rate of the PM6:SMD-Asy:Y6 blended film is higher than 10%.
[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present application has the following beneficial effects: (1) The traditional small molecule donor usually adopts a symmetrical structure, which is easy to form excessive stacking to cause brittleness. In the present application, the conjugated skeleton and the alkoxy side chain are both designed as an asymmetrical structure, which can destroy excessive π-π stacking, inhibit the crystallization and aggregation of large-size molecules, and thus improve the morphology, miscibility and stretchability of the blended film. At the same time, instead of simply destroying all ordered structures, a large number of microcrystalline structures are retained to form an optimized stacking structure with close π-π distance, small-size crystal grains and uniform interpenetrating network. This structure simultaneously optimizes the charge transport and stress dissipation paths, thereby achieving a synergistic breakthrough in improving the photovoltaic performance and mechanical properties; (2) The fully asymmetrical small molecule donor SMD-Asy prepared in the present application can effectively adjust the donor-acceptor interaction interface of the PM6:Y6 system, promote the more uniform distribution of the donor and the acceptor, and thus form a more uniform blending region. The adjusted interface significantly improves the matching of the hole mobility and the electron mobility, and the PM6:SMD-Asy(5%):Y6 mixture with a doping amount of 5% has the most balanced μ h / μ e value, indicating that the mixed film can form an excellent electron transport channel to improve the device efficiency; (3) Compared with symmetrical small molecules, the double asymmetrical structure of the present application fundamentally changes the mechanical behavior of the active layer film. It reduces the grain size and the rigidity of the crystalline region, so that the stress can be uniformly dispersed in the soft amorphous matrix, thereby greatly reducing the local stress concentration. The results show that the cracking strain rate of the blended film based on the present application is significantly improved. The device prepared still has excellent photovoltaic function (PCE>16.5%) under a tensile strain of more than 10%. This characteristic fully meets the common strain range of human skin in daily activities, and lays a solid material foundation for the development of high-performance and high-reliability stretchable and wearable optoelectronic devices. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed in the embodiment description. Obviously, the following description is only one embodiment of the present application, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creating any creative labor. Figure 1 Design of stretchable photoactive layer; Figure 2 Synthetic route of small molecule SMD-Asy; Figure 3 Mass spectrum of compound BDTT-1; 1 H NMR spectrum; Figure 4 Mass spectrum of compound BDTT-1; Figure 5 Mass spectrum of compound BDTT-2; 1 H NMR spectrum; Figure 6 Mass spectrum of compound BDTT-2; Figure 7 Mass spectrum of compound BDTT-OR1; 1 H NMR spectrum; Figure 8 Mass spectrum of compound BDTT-OR1; Figure 9 Mass spectrum of compound BDTT-OR2; 1 H NMR spectrum; Figure 10 Mass spectrum of compound BDTT-OR2; Figure 11 Mass spectrum of compound BDTT-Asy1; 1 H NMR spectrum; Figure 12 Mass spectrum of compound SMD-Asy; 1 H NMR spectrum; Figure 13 Mass spectrum of compound BDT-LOR; 1 H NMR spectrum; Figure 14 Mass spectrum of compound BDT-LOR-Sn; 1 H NMR spectrum; Figure 15 Mass spectrum of compound BDT-OR; 1 H NMR spectrum; Figure 16 Structure and optical properties of small molecule donor: (a) Chemical structure of donor small molecule; (b) Normalized UV-Vis absorption spectra of the donor small molecule and polymer in thin film (at room temperature); (c) Normalized UV-Vis absorption spectra of the donor small molecule and polymer in chloroform solution (at room temperature); (d) Energy level distribution of the donor; (e) SMD-Asy and SMD-OR molecular geometry simulated by density functional theory calculation; Figure 17 Comparison of absorption wavelengths of the donor thin film and the donor in solution: (a) PM6; (b) SMD-Asy; (c) SMD-Asy; Figure 18 Electrochemical cyclic voltammetry curves for the donor; Figure 19 Performance characterization of binary and ternary organic solar cell devices: (a) The best device J-V (a) Curve; (b) Photoelectric efficiency (EQE) curve of OSCs; Figure 20 Charge transport characteristics of organic solar cells corresponding to blended thin films: (a) Hole mobility; (b) Electron mobility; Figure 21 For light-intensity dependent organic solar cells J SC Line graph; Figure 22 Microstructure characteristics of the optimal blend film: (a) Atomic force microscopy (AFM) height image (2×2 μm); (b) Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image; (c) Two-dimensional wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) spectrum; (d) GIWAXS one-dimensional distribution curve; Figure 23 AFM (2×2 μm) phase image of the optimal blend film; Figure 24 Optical microscope image of a blend film exhibiting good photovoltaic performance under strain conditions. Detailed Implementation
[0018] This invention proposes a fully asymmetric small molecule donor SMD-Asy, with both the main chain and side chains being asymmetric, along with its preparation method and applications. To facilitate understanding of this invention by those skilled in the art, specific embodiments are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the equipment and reagents used in this invention are commercially available or commonly used in the field.
[0019] Example 1 Preparation of the fully asymmetric small molecule donor SMD-Asy The synthetic route of the small molecule donor SMD-Asy is as follows: Figure 2 As shown, the target small molecule was obtained via a Stille coupling reaction using tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium (Pd(PPh3)4) as a catalyst. All key compounds were obtained through... 1 Confirmed by 1H NMR and mass spectrometry. The specific synthesis steps are as follows.
[0020] 1. Synthesis of compounds BDTT-1 and BDTT-2: (1) Synthesis of compound BDTT-1 In THF (13 mL), bromobenzene (1.43 g, 9.12 mmol) was added dropwise to a mixture of magnesium shavings (0.27 g, 10.94 mmol) and one I2 grain (13 mL), and reflux was maintained under nitrogen. After addition, reflux was maintained for 3 h. Then, Grignard reagent was added dropwise to a solution of thiophene [1,2-b:4,5-b']benzodithiophene-4,9-dione (1.29 g, 4.56 mmol) in THF (60 mL) under an ice-water bath. Finally, the mixture was stirred for 40 h at room temperature under nitrogen. Subsequently, the mixture was hydrolyzed by the slow addition of water followed by the addition of 38% hydrochloric acid aqueous solution, and finally extracted with petroleum ether. The organic phase was dried on Na2SO4. After removing the solvent under vacuum, the residue was eluted with petroleum ether-dichloromethane by silica gel column chromatography to give a pale yellow solid compound, BDTT-1 (0.72 g, yield = 44%). 1 H NMR (600 MHz, CDCl3) δ(ppm) 7.58 (d, J = 5.0 Hz, 1H),7.51 (d, 1H), 7.45 (d, 2H), 7.32-7.28 (m, 3H), 7.22 (d, 1H), 7.09 (d, 1H),3.29 (s, 1H) ( Figure 3 Mass spectrometry: C 18 H 10 The theoretical value of O2S3 is [M]. + : 353.9843; Measured value: 354.9919 ( Figure 4 ); (2) Synthesis of compound BDTT-2 The synthesis steps were the same as those for compound BDTT-1, except that after removing the solvent under vacuum, the residue was eluted by silica gel column chromatography with petroleum ether-dichloromethane to give a slightly green solid compound, BDTT-2 (0.31 g, yield = 19%). 1 H NMR (600 MHz, CDCl3) δ (ppm) 7.56. (d, J = 6.0 Hz, 1H), 7.50-7.49 (m,3H), 7.34-7.30 (m, 3H), 7.27-7.28 (m, 2H), 3.27 (s, 1H) ( Figure 5 Mass spectrometry: C 18 H 10 The theoretical value of O2S3 is [M].+ : 353.9843; Measured value: 354.9916 ( Figure 6 ).
[0021] 2. Synthesis of compounds BDTT-OR1 and BDTT-OR2 Introducing asymmetric long-chain alkoxy groups onto BDTT yields BDTT-OR, providing substituents for the subsequent formation of asymmetric small molecules, which is a pretreatment at the molecular design level.
[0022] (1) Synthesis of compound BDTT-OR1 Under nitrogen protection, compound BDTT-1 (0.72 g, 2.03 mmol) and zinc powder (0.26 g, 4 mmol) were placed in a 100 mL flask, followed by the addition of an aqueous solution (40 mL) containing 3.2 g NaOH. The mixture was stirred thoroughly and refluxed for 3 hours. Then, 1-bromo-2-decyltetradecane (2.55 g, 6.1 mmol) and tetrabutylammonium bromide (1.9 g, 6.0 mmol) were added to the flask. After reflux overnight, the reaction mixture was poured into cold water and extracted with petroleum ether. The organic phase was dried over Na₂SO₄. After removing the solvent under reduced pressure, the residue was eluted with petroleum ether by silica gel column chromatography to give compound BDTT-OR1 as a pale yellow oil (1.16 g, yield = 85%). 1 H NMR (600 MHz, CDCl3) δ(ppm) 7.63 (d, J = 6.0 Hz,2H), 7.54-7.51 (m, 3H), 7.47-7.44 (m, 1H), 7.37 (d, 1H), 7.25-7.23 (m, 2H),4.36 (d, J = 6.0 Hz, 2H), 2.13-2.09 (m, 1H), 1.74-1.68 (m, 2H), 1.59-1.53 (m,2H), 1.48-1.43 (m, 4H), 1.38-1.24 (m, 32H), 0.89-0.86 (m, 6H)( Figure 7 Mass spectrometry: C 42 H 58 The theoretical value of OS3 is [M]. + : 674.3650; Actual measurement: 675.3722 ( Figure 8 ).
[0023] (2) Synthesis of compound BDTT-OR2 Under nitrogen protection, compound BDTT-2 (0.31 g, 0.87 mmol) and zinc powder (0.17 g, 1.74 mmol) were placed in a 50 mL flask, followed by the addition of 20 mL of an aqueous solution containing 1.6 g of NaOH. The mixture was stirred thoroughly and refluxed for 3 hours. Then, 1-bromo-2-decyltetradecane (1.09 g, 2.60 mmol) and tetrabutylammonium bromide (0.77 g, 2.4 mmol) were added to the flask. After reflux overnight, the reaction mixture was poured into cold water and extracted with petroleum ether. The organic phase was dried over Na₂SO₄. After removing the solvent under reduced pressure, the residue was purified by silica gel column chromatography with petroleum ether to give BDTT-OR2 as a white solid (100 mg, yield = 17%). Due to insufficient yield, subsequent steps were difficult to perform. 1 H NMR (600 MHz, CDCl3) δ(ppm) 7.62-7.55(m, 6H), 7.39 (d, J = 6.0 Hz, 1H), 7.32(d, 1H), 7.25 (d, 1H), 4.28 (d, J = 6.0Hz, 2H), 1.94-1.90 (m, 1H), 1.70-1.65 (m, 2H), 1.53-1.50 (m, 2H), 1.47-1.42(m, 4H), 1.37-1.26 (m, 32H), 0.89-0.86 (m, 6H) ( Figure 9 Mass spectrometry: C 42 H 58 The theoretical value of OS3 is [M]. + : 674.3650; Measured value: 675.3718 ( Figure 10 ).
[0024] 3. Synthesis of compound BDTT-Asy1 BDTT-OR was lithiated and a trialkyltin group was introduced to obtain the tin-modified precursor BDTT-Asy, which is a tin-modified fragment for cross-coupling (Stille).
[0025] Under nitrogen protection, a 1.4 mL n-butyllithium solution (3.45 mmol, n-hexane solution concentration 2.4 mol / L) was prepared. -1The BDTT-OR1 compound (0.92 g, 1.38 mmol) solution dissolved in tetrahydrofuran (50 mL) at -78 °C was slowly added dropwise. The mixture was stirred at -78 °C for 1 hour, then heated to room temperature for 0.5 hours. After cooling back to -78 °C, trimethyltin chloride (4.14 mL, 4.14 mmol, n-hexane solution concentration 1 mol L) was added in a single batch. -1 The mixture was heated to room temperature and stirred overnight. Water was added to the reaction mixture, and the mixture was extracted with petroleum ether. The combined organic extracts were dried over Na2SO4 and the solvent was removed under reduced pressure. The residue was recrystallized from ethanol to give a white solid compound, BDTT-Asy1 (981 mg, yield = 70%). 1 H NMR(500 MHz, CDCl3) δ(ppm) 7.69-7.367 (m, 2H), 7.60-7.56 (m, 2H), 7.51 (d, J =10.0 Hz, 1H), 7.30 (d, 2H), 4.41 (d, J = 5.0 Hz, 2H), 2.14-2.10 (m, 1H), 1.79-1.73 (m, 2H), 1.63-1.59 (m, 2H), 1.53-1.48 (m, 4H), 1.37-1.27 (m, 32H), 0.92-0.88 (m, 6H), 0.49-0.39 (m, 18H)( Figure 11 ).
[0026] 4. Synthesis of compound SMD-Asy The tin-modified BDTT-Asy was coupled with a rhodanine derivative-containing halogenated acceptor unit at a molar ratio of approximately 1:3 (central donor:acceptor), using Pd(PPh3)4) as a catalyst, to obtain a discrete small molecule SMD-Asy with an A-π-D-π-A conjugated structure with rhodanine end groups.
[0027] Compound BDTT-Asy1 (100 mg, 0.1 mmol) and trithiophene-rhodaninyl (225 mg, 0.3 mmol) were dissolved in dry toluene (10 mL), degassed several times under nitrogen, and then Pd(PPh3)4 (15 mg) was added. After stirring at 110 °C for 24 hours under a nitrogen atmosphere, the mixture was poured into water and extracted with CHCl3. The residue was purified by silica gel chromatography and eluted with a mixture of petroleum ether and dichloromethane (2:1 v / v) to give a black solid compound SMD-Asy (64 mg, yield = 32%). 1H NMR (500MHz, CDCl3) δ(ppm) 7.77. (s, 2H), 7.66 (d, J = 5.0 Hz, 2H), 7.61-7.58 (m, 2H),7.54-7.51 (m, 1H), 7.24-7.20 (m, 4H), 7.15-7.10 (m, 4H), 7.09-7.05 (m, 1H)4.39 (d, J = 5.0 Hz, 2H), 4.13-4.09 (m, 4H), 2.84-2.77 (m, 8H), 2.23-2.20 (m,1H), 1.73-1.66 (m, 12H), 1.34-1.21 (m, 84H), 0.98-0.95 (m, 6H), 0.90-0.81 (m,24H)( Figure 12 ).
[0028] Comparative Example 1 Preparation of SMD-OR with symmetrical alkoxy chains and backbone 1. Synthesis of compound BDT-LOR Under nitrogen protection, compound BDT (740 mg, 3.36 mmol) and zinc powder (553 mg, 8.4 mmol) were placed in a 100 mL flask, followed by the addition of 30 mL of an aqueous solution containing 2.4 g of NaOH. The mixture was stirred thoroughly and refluxed for 3 hours. Then, 1-bromo-2-decyltetradecane (3.5 g, 8.4 mmol) and a catalytic amount of tetrabutylammonium bromide (3.2 g, 10.0 mmol) were added to the flask. After reflux overnight, the reaction mixture was poured into cold water and extracted with petroleum ether. The organic phase was dried over Na₂SO₄. After removing the solvent under reduced pressure, the residue was eluted with petroleum ether by silica gel column chromatography to give compound BDT-LOR as a colorless oil (2.5 g, yield = 85%). ¹H NMR (500 MHz, CDCl₃) δ(ppm) 7.47. (d, J = 5.0 Hz,2H), 7.36 (d, 2H), 4.16 (d, J = 10.0 Hz, 4H), 1.88-1.82 (m, 2H), 1.68-1.48 (m,8H), 1.40-1.25 (m, 72H), 0.90-0.86 (m, 12H) ( Figure 13 ).
[0029] 2. Synthesis of compound BDT-LOR-Sn Under nitrogen protection, a 5.7 mL n-butyllithium solution (9.15 mmol, n-hexane solution concentration 1.6 mol L) was prepared. -1 The compound BDT-LOR (2.5 g, 2.85 mmol) was slowly added dropwise to a solution dissolved in tetrahydrofuran (70 mL) at -78 °C. The mixture was stirred at -78 °C for 1 hour, then heated to room temperature for 0.5 hours. After cooling back to -78 °C, trimethyltin chloride (10 mL, 9.98 mmol, 1 mol / L hexane solution) was added in a single batch. -1 The mixture was heated to room temperature and stirred overnight. Water was added to the reaction mixture, and the mixture was extracted with petroleum ether. The organic extracts were combined, dried over Na₂SO₄, and the solvent was removed under reduced pressure. The residue was recrystallized from ethanol to give a white solid compound BDT-LOR-Sn (2.6 g, yield = 76%). ¹H NMR (500 MHz, CDCl₃) δ (ppm) 7.54–7.45 (m, 2H), 4.18 (d, J = 5.0 Hz, 4H), 1.88-1.83 (m,2H), 1.69-1.61 (m, 5H), 1.54-1.21 (m, 88H), 0.90-0.85 (m, 12H), 0.50 (d, 1H),0.45 (d, 13H), 0.39 (d, 1H) ( Figure 14 ).
[0030] 3. Synthesis of compound SMD-OR Compound SMD-LOR-Sn (122.19 mg, 0.1 mmol) and trithiophene-rhodaninyl (225 mg, 0.3 mmol) were dissolved in dry toluene (10 mL), degassed several times with nitrogen, and then Pd(PPh3)4 (15 mg) was added. After stirring at 110 °C for 24 hours under argon protection, the mixture was poured into water and extracted with CHCl3. The residue was purified by silica gel chromatography using petroleum ether and dichloromethane (3:1 v / v) as eluent to give a black solid compound SMD-OR (65 mg, yield = 29%). ¹H NMR (500 MHz, CDCl3) δ (ppm) 7.78 (s, 2H), 7.48 (s, 2H), 7.24 (d, 2H), δ (ppm) J= 5.0 Hz 4H),7.17-7.14 (m, 4H), 4.19 (d, J = 5.0 Hz, 4H), 4.13-4.10 (m, 4H), 2.85-2.80 (m,8H), 1.90-1.87 (m, 2H), 1.73-1.67 (m, 12H), 1.41-1.20 (m, 124H), 0.98-0.95(m, 6H), 0.89-0.83 (m, 24H) ( Figure 15 ).
[0031] Performance Characterization 1. Photovoltaic performance (1) Ultraviolet-Visible Absorption Spectroscopy Test Figure 16 b and Figure 16 c shows the normalized UV-Vis absorption spectra of the three donors in the thin film and chloroform solution, namely PM6, SMD-OR and SMD-Asy. The corresponding absorption characteristics are summarized in Table 1.
[0032] like Figure 16 As shown in b, in solid films, compared with polymer PM6, the maximum absorbance values of SMD-OR and SMD-Asy show a trend of enhanced (0-0) absorption peak and weakened (0-0) absorption peak. This (0-0) absorption peak is generally attributed to intermolecular stacking, indicating that the fully asymmetric strategy can effectively suppress molecular aggregation.
[0033] like Figure 16 As shown in c, in solution, the maximum absorption wavelengths of SMD-Asy and SMD-OR show a significant blue shift from 622 nm and 614 nm to 506 nm, respectively. Compared to the polymer donor PM6 (612 nm), their maximum absorption wavelengths both show a significant blue shift. However, the maximum absorption value of SMD-Asy still shows a blue shift compared to its thin film. Figure 17 This indicates that SMD-Asy effectively inhibits intermolecular aggregation. Based on formula (1) and combined with the determination of the thin film absorption initiation point, the optical band gaps of donors PM6, SMD-OR, and SMD-Asy ( E g opt The values were estimated to be 1.80, 1.77, and 1.75 eV, respectively.
[0034] (1) (2) Electrochemical cyclic voltammetry The electrochemical properties of the donor were investigated using electrochemical cyclic voltammetry (CV). The cyclic voltammetry curves are shown below. Figure 18 As shown. The results are summarized in Table 1. Figure 16As shown in d, the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) and highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy levels of the small molecule donors (SMD-OR and SMD-Asy) are slightly higher than those of the benchmark polymer PM6.
[0035] (3) Fabrication and device performance of organic solar cells Binary and ternary devices are fabricated using conventional structures. The conventional layered structure is ITO / PEDOT:PSS / active layer / PDINN / Ag. Specifically, in this embodiment, the active layer is PM6:Y6, PM6:SMD-Asy:Y6, or PM6:SMD-OR:Y6.
[0036] Current density-voltage (NDV) in binary and ternary systems J-V The curves and their corresponding photovoltaic parameters are as follows: Figure 19 As shown in a and Table 2. After optimization, the optimal mass ratio of SMD-Asy in the PM6:Y6 system for constructing the active layer was determined to be 0.95:0.05:1.2 (i.e., PM6:SMD-Asy:Y6). The binary organic solar cell based on the reference PM6:Y6 active layer exhibited a PCE of 15.57% and a short-circuit current density (…). J SC The value is 25.33 mA cm⁻¹ -2 Open circuit voltage ( V OC The voltage is 0.86 V, and the fill factor (FF) reaches 71.69%. In PM6:SMD-OR:Y6-based ternary devices, whether 5% or 10% of the small molecule is added, it has an effect on... J SC , V OC The improvement in FF value is very limited, and when the doping concentration reaches 10%, its performance is even lower than that of binary devices. In contrast, the optimized PM6:SMD-Asy(5%):Y6 ternary device exhibits a higher JSC (26.23 mA cm⁻¹). -2 The device achieves higher PCE (16.88%) by increasing the FF (75.93%) and FF (75.93%). The corresponding external quantum efficiency (EQE) of the device is as follows: Figure 19 As shown in b.
[0037] Table 1 Basic properties of donor molecules
[0038] Note: a) Calculated based on the absorption initiation wavelength of the compound in the thin film; b) Determined by electrochemical cyclic voltammetry; c) Calculated based on the highest unoccupied molecular orbital energy level and optical band gap.
[0039] Table 2 Photovoltaic performance characteristics
[0040] Note: a) Values for the highest PCE device, the average of the 10 devices listed in parentheses; b) Values derived from EQE spectral integration.
[0041] To determine the impact of small molecule introduction on carrier mobility in organic solar cells, the charge transport characteristics of organic solar cells were evaluated using the space charge confinement current method. Figure 20 The hole mobility was calculated. μ h ) and electron mobility ( μ e ), PM6:Y6, PM6:SMD-OR(5%):Y6, SMD-OR(10%):Y6, PM6:SMD-Asy(5%):Y6 and PM6:SMD-Asy(10%):Y6 μ h The values are 3.72 × 10 -4 3.76×10 -4 3.74×10 -4 3.26×10 -4 and 3.11×10 - 4 cm 2 V -1 s -1 . PM6:Y6, PM6:SMD-OR(5%):Y6, SMD-OR(10%):Y6, PM6:SMD-Asy(5%):Y6 and PM6:SMD-Asy(10%):Y6 μ e The values are 2.74 × 10 -4 3.45×10 -4 2.20×10 -4 3.10×10 -4 and 2.29×10 -4 cm 2 V -1 s -1 . PM6:Y6, PM6:SMD-Asy(5%):Y6, PM6:SMD-Asy(10%):Y6, PM6:SMD-OR(5%):Y6 and PM6:SMD-OR(10%):Y6 μ h / μ e The values were 1.36, 1.09, 1.70, 1.05, and 1.40, respectively. Among them, the PM6:SMD-Asy(5%):Y6 mixture had the most balanced...μ h / μ e The value indicates that the hybrid thin film can form an excellent electron transport channel to improve device efficiency.
[0042] To determine the charge recombination characteristics, the short-circuit current density in organic solar cells was compared ( J SC ) on light intensity ( P light Dependence on ). For example, Figure 21 As shown, PM6:Y6, PM6:SMD-OR(5%):Y6, SMD-OR(10%):Y6, PM6:SMD-Asy(5%):Y6 and PM6:SMD-Asy(10%):Y6 The values were 0.93, 0.94, 0.94, 0.98, and 0.92, respectively. Among them, PM6:SMD-Asy(5%):Y6 The value is the largest among these hybrid films, indicating that the addition of SMD-Asy can effectively suppress charge recombination. These results strongly confirm the aforementioned findings regarding the improvement of short-circuit current density (…). J SC The conclusions regarding the fill factor (FF) and the fill factor (FF).
[0043] 2. Tensile properties (1) Density Functional Theory (DFT) Analysis Density functional theory (DFT) analysis at the B3LYP(6-31G(d,p)) level was performed using the Gaussian 16 program, revealing the optimized geometries of the small molecule donors (SMD-OR and SMD-Asy) (e.g. Figure 16 (as shown in e). To simplify calculations, all long alkyl chains were substituted with methyl groups. Compared to SMD-OR, each dihedral angle between thiophene rings in SMD-Asy was significantly increased. The larger dihedral angles between thiophene rings are beneficial for reducing molecular aggregation, indicating that SMD-Asy is more likely to improve the morphology, miscibility, and stretchability of the blend film compared to SMD-OR. This result is consistent with the trend of reduced aggregation shown by UV-Vis spectroscopy, and the improvement in the morphology of the blend film can be further verified by grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
[0044] (2) Microscopic morphological characteristics of blended films The effects of asymmetric side chains and main chains on the microstructure of the active layer were analyzed using atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and GIWAXS measurements (e.g., Figure 22 , Figure 23 (As shown in Table 3). AFM height image (Figure 22 a) shows that the surface roughness values of the ternary PM6:SMD-OR:Y6 and PM6:SMD-Asy:Y6 films are 1.04 and 0.97 nm, respectively, which are higher than those of the binary PM6:Y6 film (0.88 nm), indicating that SMD-Asy, as the third component, is more conducive to the formation of smooth blend films than SMD-OR. The corresponding transmission electron microscope images (…) Figure 22 b) Similarly, it is shown that the ternary PM6:SMD-Asy:Y6 hybrid film is superior to PM6:SMD-OR:Y6 and PM6:Y6 films in reducing phase separation and improving the miscibility of the active layer. This indicates that SMD-Asy, with its asymmetric side chains and main chain, can improve D / A compatibility and promote a more uniform distribution of donor and acceptor compared to the symmetric SMD-OR, thus forming a more uniform blend region. These results help enhance the mechanical properties of the blend film, promote exciton dissociation and charge transfer, and thus increase the open-circuit voltage ( ). J SC ) and fill factor (FF).
[0045] Table 3 Detailed parameters obtained by wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS)
[0046] Measurement by wide-angle incident X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) Figure 22 c and Figure 22 d) The crystal structure and microstructure of the blended thin films were studied to gain a deeper understanding of SMD-Asy materials with asymmetric side chain and main chain effects. Figure 22 c and Figure 24 Figure d shows the two-dimensional GIWAXS spectra and their corresponding one-dimensional line profile spectra. In the two-dimensional GIWAXS spectra, all three blend films exhibit (010) π-π diffraction patterns in both the in-plane (IP) and out-of-plane (OOP) directions, while maintaining an upward-facing stacked structure. The crystallinity of the PM6:SMD-Asy:Y6 blend film is significantly lower than that of the other blend films, which can be verified by the scattering peaks in the OOP direction. The coherence length of the (010) peak in the OOP direction is calculated using the Scherrer equation. L c The relative grain sizes of the three hybrid films were compared, and the results are shown in Table 3.
[0047] Compared to PM6:SMD-Asy:Y6, PM6:Y6 blend films have... L c(010) The value increased significantly; however, after introducing SMD-Asy with asymmetric side chains and main chains, the ternary blends showed a significant increase. L c(010)The value further decreased, indicating that the introduction of SMD-Asy can reduce grain size and improve the morphology of the blend film. The three blend films... d 010 The similar values (≈3.84 Å) indicate that the PM6:SMD-Asy:Y6 system with close intermolecular packing can enhance π-π packing, thereby promoting charge generation and transport. These results demonstrate that introducing SMD-Asy with asymmetric side chains and a main chain can effectively disrupt molecular packing to improve the morphology of the blend film, while retaining a large amount of microcrystalline structure to enhance π-π packing, thus improving the photovoltaic performance and mechanical properties of the blend film.
[0048] (3) Mechanical properties of the active layer Cracking strain rate was used to evaluate the mechanical properties of blended films, such as... As shown, the blended thin film was stretched onto a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate, and crack formation was observed under an optical microscope as strain increased. Crack propagation and strain hinder charge transfer between electrodes, thus negatively impacting device performance. Therefore, a high crack initiation strain rate is crucial for high-performance stretchable organic solar cells.
[0049] The results show that the superior morphology and structure significantly improve the mechanical properties of the blend film. The crack initiation strain of the PM6:SMD-Asy:Y6 blend film is significantly higher than that of the control groups PM6:Y6 and PM6:SMD-OR:Y6 blend films, which is attributed to the reduced grain size and crystallinity. The stretchability of this blend film is similar to... L c(010) The crystal orientation values show the opposite trend, indicating that excessively large grain size and reduced crystallinity not only hinder the formation of good morphology, but also weaken the mechanical properties of the blend film. Smaller grains are more evenly distributed in the amorphous region, thus more effectively offsetting tensile stress during stretching.
[0050] In summary, this invention designed and synthesized a fully asymmetric small molecule donor, SMD-Asy, with asymmetric side chains and a main chain. This SMD-Asy was used as the third component in the PM6:Y6 active layer of T-OSCs. SMD-Asy effectively improved morphology and suppressed intermolecular aggregation, resulting in a smooth blend film. Simultaneously, it reduced grain size while maintaining a certain degree of crystallinity. Compared to PM6:Y6 devices (15.57%), the SMD-Asy-based ternary device exhibited higher PCE (16.88%) and better performance. J SCCompared with PM6:Y6 blend film, the SMD-Asy blend film PM6:SMD-Asy:Y6 significantly improved the morphology and crystal size, allowing small molecules to be distributed in the amorphous region, thereby significantly enhancing the stretchability of the blend film. The cracking strain rate of PM6:SMD-Asy:Y6 blend film is higher than 10%.
[0051] The embodiments of the present invention described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.
Claims
1. A fully asymmetric small molecule donor (SMD-Asy), characterized in that: The molecule comprises a BDTT core with a π-conjugated skeleton, rhodamine derivative end groups on both sides, and asymmetric distribution of side chains and main chain structures, and the molecular structure is shown as formula (I); (Ⅰ)。 2. A process for the preparation of a fully unsymmetrical small donor molecule SMD-Asy according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method comprises the following steps: (1) constructing a BDTT core: preparing a Grignard reagent from bromobenzene and magnesium chips under an inert atmosphere, and adding the Grignard reagent to thiophene benzodithiophene-4,9-dione to undergo an addition reaction, and then hydrolyzing and extracting to obtain a BDTT intermediate; (2) introducing an asymmetric alkoxy substituent: reducing and activating the BDTT intermediate under alkaline conditions, and performing an alkylation reaction with a long-chain halogenated alkane under the action of a phase transfer catalyst to obtain a BDTT-OR compound with a long-chain alkoxy substituent; (3) constructing a tin precursor: reacting the BDTT-OR compound with an organic lithium reagent under an inert atmosphere and at low temperature to form a lithiated intermediate, and reacting with an organotin chloride reagent to introduce a trialkyltin group to obtain a tin precursor BDTT-Asy; (4) Stille coupling: performing a Stille coupling reaction of the BDTT-Asy with a rhodamine derivative halogen acceptor unit in the presence of a palladium catalyst, and then extracting and purifying to obtain a fully asymmetric small molecule donor SMD-Asy.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein: The long-chain alkoxy group in step (2) is a branched or double-branched alkoxy group, and the phase transfer catalyst is tetrabutylammonium bromide.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein: The organic lithium reagent in step (3) is n-butyllithium.
5. The method of claim 2, wherein: The palladium catalyst in step (4) is Pd(PPh3)4.
6. The method of claim 2, wherein: In step (4), the BDTT-Asy and the rhodamine derivative halogen acceptor unit are coupled at a molar ratio of 1:2.5 to 1:
3.
7. Use of a fully asymmetric small donor (SMD-Asy), characterized in that: The SMD-Asy of any one of claims 1 to 6 is doped as a third component in an active layer composed of a polymer donor PM6 and a non-fullerene acceptor Y6 to form a PM6:SMD-Asy:Y6 ternary active layer.
8. Use according to claim 7, characterized in that: The doping amount of the SMD-Asy is 1 to 10% by mass.
9. An electronic device, characterized by: The electronic device comprises the PM6:SMD-Asy:Y6 ternary active layer of claim 7, and the PCE of the electronic device is higher than 16.5%.
10. A blended film characterized by: The blending film comprises PM6, Y6 and the SMD-Asy of any one of claims 1 to 6, and the cracking strain rate of the blending film is higher than 10%.
Citation Information
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