Triazine-Bridged Porphyrin Triad as Electron Donor for Solution-Processed Bulk Hetero-Junction Organic Solar Cells

In this report we describe the use of a novel porphyrin triad (PPT) consisting of two zinc-metalated porphyrin units and one free-base porphyrin unit covalently linked through their peripheral amino-phenyl groups to a central s-triazine unit, in combination with PC 70 BM ([6,6]-phenyl C 70 butyric acid methyl ester), as electron donor and electron acceptors, respectively, for the fabrication of small-molecule based, solution-processed, bulk heterojunction (BHJ) organic solar cells. Photoluminescence studies of PPT:PC 70 BM blend films indicated that charge transfer is possible from PPT to PC 70 BM molecules. The solution-processed BHJ organic solar cell with the PPT:PC 70 BM blend in 1:1 weight ratio, processed from THF, was found to exhibit an overall power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 2.85%. When the BHJ active layer of PPT:PC 70 BM was processed from a 5% v/v mixture of 1-chloronaphathalene (CN) in THF, the PCE of the solar cell was increased up to 3.93%. This was attributed to the enhancement of the short circuit current J sc of the solar cell, which was ascribed to a stronger and broader incident photon to current efficiency (IPCE) response and to the higher degree of crystallinity of the active layer of the latter solar cell. The different surface morphologies of the two differently processed active layers result in different electron transport kinetics, and, as shown by electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) and relaxation time measurements, the device with the active layer with the higher degree of crystallinity results in faster charge transfer process and more efficient exciton dissociation at the PPT/PC 70 BM interface.