Article

Synthesis and applications of 2,7-carbazole-based conjugated main-chain copolymers containing electron deficient bithiazole units for organic solar cells

  1. Dhananjaya Patra1,
  2. Duryodhan Sahu1,
  3. Harihara Padhy1,
  4. Dhananjay Kekuda2,
  5. Chih-Wei Chu2,3,
  6. Hong-Cheu Lin1,*

Article first published online: 5 OCT 2010

DOI: 10.1002/pola.24356

Issue

Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry

Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry

Volume 48, Issue 23, pages 5479–5489, 1 December 2010

Additional Information

How to Cite

Patra, D., Sahu, D., Padhy, H., Kekuda, D., Chu, C.-W. and Lin, H.-C. (2010), Synthesis and applications of 2,7-carbazole-based conjugated main-chain copolymers containing electron deficient bithiazole units for organic solar cells. J. Polym. Sci. A Polym. Chem., 48: 5479–5489. doi: 10.1002/pola.24356

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, Republic of China

  2. 2

    Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

  3. 3

    Department of Photonics, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, Republic of China

*Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, Republic of China

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 28 OCT 2010
  2. Article first published online: 5 OCT 2010
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 21 AUG 2010
  4. Manuscript Received: 11 JUL 2010

Funded by

  • National Science Council of Taiwan (ROC). Grant Number: NSC 97-2113-M-009-006-MY2
  • National Chiao Tung University. Grant Number: 97W807
  • Energy and Environmental Laboratories (charged by Dr. Chang-Chung Yang) in Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI)

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Keywords:

  • bithiazole units;
  • bulk heterojunction;
  • copolymers;
  • donor–acceptor

Abstract

A series of low-band-gap (LBG) donor–accepor conjugated main-chain copolymers (P1–P4) containing planar 2,7-carbazole as electron donors and bithiazole units (4,4′-dihexyl-2,2′-bithiazole and 4,4′-dihexyl-5,5′-di(thiophen-2-yl)-2,2′-bithiazole) as electron acceptors were synthesized and studied for the applications in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells. The effects of electron deficient bithiazole units on the thermal, optical, electrochemical, and photovoltaic (PV) properties of these LBG copolymers were investigated. Absorption spectra revealed that polymers P1–P4 exhibited broad absorption bands in UV and visible regions from 300 to 600 nm with optical band gaps in the range of 1.93–1.99 eV, which overlapped with the major region of the solar emission spectrum. Moreover, carbazole-based polymers P1–P4 showed low values of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) levels, which provided good air stability and high open circuit voltages (Voc) in the PV applications. The BHJ PV devices were fabricated using polymers P1–P4 as electron donors and (6,6)-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC61BM) or (6,6)-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) as electron acceptors in different weight ratios. The PV device bearing an active layer of polymer blend P4:PC71BM (1:1.5 w/w) showed the best power conversion efficiency value of 1.01% with a short circuit current density (Jsc) of 4.83 mA/cm2, a fill factor (FF) of 35%, and Voc = 0.60 V under 100 mW/cm2 of AM 1.5 white-light illumination. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010

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