Steric Hindrance Induced Low Exciton Binding Energy Enables
Low-Driving-Force Organic Solar Cells
Abstract
Exciton binding energy ( E b) has been regarded
as a critical parameter in charge separation during photovoltaic
conversion. Minimizing the E b of the
photovoltaic materials can facilitate the exciton dissociation in
low-driving force organic solar cells (OSCs) and thus improve the power
conversion efficiency (PCE), nevertheless, diminishing the E
b with deliberate design principles remains a
significant challenge. Herein, bulky side chain as steric hindrance
structure was inserted into Y-series acceptors to minimize the E
b by modulating the intra- and inter-molecular
interaction. Theoretical and experimental results indicate that steric
hindrance-induced weaker intra-molecular interactions but stronger
inter-molecular interaction can strengthen the molecular polarizability,
increase the overlap of electronic orbitals between molecules and
facilitate delocalized pathway charge transfer, thereby resulting in a
low E b. The conspicuously reduced E
b obtained in Y-ChC5 with pinpoint steric hindrance
modulation can minimize the detrimental effects on exciton dissociation
in low-driving-force OSCs, achieving a remarkable PCE of 19.1% with
over 95% internal quantum efficiency. Our study provides a new
molecular design rationale to reduce the exciton binding energy.