Accomplishing High‐Performance Organic Solar Sub‐Modules (≈55 cm2) with >16% Efficiency by Controlling the Aggregation of an Engineered Non‐Fullerene Acceptor

Abstract

Abstract The fabrication of environmentally benign, solvent‐processed, efficient, organic photovoltaic sub‐modules remains challenging due to the rapid aggregation of the current high performance non‐fullerene acceptors (NFAs). In this regard, design of new NFAs capable of achieving optimal aggregation in large‐area organic photovoltaic modules has not been realized. Here, an NFA named BTA‐HD‐Rh is synthesized with longer (hexyl‐decyl) side chains that exhibit good solubility and optimal aggregation. Interestingly, integrating a minute amount of new NFA (BTA‐HD‐Rh) into the PM6:L8‐BO system enables the improved solubility in halogen‐free solvents (o‐xylene:carbon disulfide (O‐XY:CS2)) with controlled aggregation is found. Then solar sub‐modules are fabricated at ambient condition (temperature at 25 ± 3 °C and humidity: 30–45%). Ultimately, the champion 55 cm2 sub‐modules achieve exciting efficiency of >16% in O‐XY:CS2 solvents, which is the highest PCE reported for sub‐modules. Notably, the highest efficiency of BTA‐HD‐Rh doped PM6:L8‐BO is very well correlated with high miscibility with low Flory‐Huggins parameter (0.372), well‐defined nanoscale morphology, and high charge transport. This study demonstrates that a careful choice of side chain engineering for an NFA offers fascinating features that control the overall aggregation of active layer, which results in superior sub‐module performance with environmental‐friendly solvents.

Keywords

• controlled aggregation
• environmentally benign solvents
• high PCEs
• non‐fullerene acceptor
• solar sub‐modules