Pyrazine-Based Donor Polymers for Cost-Effective High Performance Organic Solar Cells

In the pursuit of commercializing organic solar cells (OSCs), it is crucial to design and synthesize high-performance, low-cost polymer donors. This research presents two polymer donors, PQ1 and PQ2, both incorporating an economically viable acceptor unit. PQ1, distinguished by its inner octyl chains, demonstrates exceptional planarity, high crystallinity, and superior charge transport properties. When coupled with a low-bandgap acceptor, it attains a notable power conversion efficiency of 15.82%. Conversely, PQ2, featuring outer octyl chains, exhibits less impressive performance. The straightforward design of PQ1, coupled with its facile synthesis route and outstanding photovoltaic efficiency, underscores its considerable commercial potential and offers insightful guidance for the design of cost-effective, high-efficiency polymer donors. This study effectively tackles the challenge of striking a balance between cost containment and performance enhancement in the advancement of next-generation OSC materials.