Organic Solar Cell Stability via Amine Composite Ink

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current organic solar cells suffer from rapid attenuation and reduced stability, particularly in the initial 100 hours of operation, leading to a significant decrease in performance by 20-50%, which affects their long-term reliability and service life.

Innovation Solution

The introduction of an organic photoactive layer composite ink that incorporates an organic amine compound, which interacts with the photoactive layer material molecules to inhibit photochemical reactions, thereby enhancing the photostability of the layer and improving the overall stability and efficiency of the organic solar cell.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If organic solar cell uses conventional photoactive layer materials, then device can be manufactured with simple process, but device exhibits rapid attenuation and poor stability in initial 100 hours of operation

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovestabilityVSAvoidphotoactive layer structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies composite materials by combining organic amine compound with conventional photoactive layer materials (donor and acceptor materials) to form a composite ink system. This composite structure allows the organic amine compound to inhibit photochemical reactions and improve photostability while maintaining the fundamental photoactive layer functionality, thus resolving the contradiction between stability improvement and structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The organic amine compound acts as an intermediary substance that mediates between light and the photoactive layer materials. It interferes with harmful photochemical reactions without being the primary light-absorbing material, thereby improving stability while allowing the conventional photoactive layer structure to remain relatively simple and functional.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Duration of action of stationary object

If organic amine compound is added to photoactive layer ink, then photostability and long-term stability are improved, but ink composition and preparation process become more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice lifeVSAvoidink composition
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the chemical composition parameters of the photoactive layer ink through the addition of organic amine compound. This changes the photochemical reaction dynamics and photostability parameters of the system, thereby extending service life while the complexity increase is limited to a single additive component rather than a complete reformulation of the ink system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The use of the organic photoactive layer composite ink results in improved long-term stability and increased photoelectric conversion efficiency of the organic solar cells, leading to enhanced performance and extended service life, while also simplifying the preparation process and reducing material costs.

Implementation Method 1

through an interaction between the organic amine compound and the photoactive layer material molecule, the photochemical reaction of the active layer molecule is inhibited

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhotochemical reaction inhibition:

Implementation Method 2

the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the organic solar cell has exceeded 11%

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhotoelectric conversion: Photovoltaic Effect

Data Source

PatentEP3594297B1Organic photoactive layer composite ink, organic solar cell and preparation method thereof
Publication Date: 2025.06.18 SUZHOU INST OF NANO TECH & NANO BIONICS CHINESE ACEDEMY OF SCI
  • EP3594297B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3594297B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6
  • EP3594297B1 patent drawingFigure 7~9

AI summary

Organic photoactive layer composite ink, comprising an electron donor material, an electron acceptor material, an organic amine compound, and an organic solvent. The composite ink is prepared by uniformly mixing the electron donor material, the electron acceptor material, and the organic amine compound into the organic solvent. The composite ink can form an organic photoactive layer (3) composite film on a bottom electrode interface modification layer (4) of an organic solar cell. The organic solar cell comprises a top electrode (1), a top electrode interface modification layer (2), the organic photoactive layer (3), the electrode interface modification layer (4), and a bottom electrode (5) arranged in sequence in a set direction. By means of the interaction between the organic amine compound and photoactive layer material molecules, the photochemical reaction of active layer molecules can be effectively suppressed, the photo-stability of the photoactive layer material is significantly improved, and the stability of the solar cell is thus improved.