All-polymer solar cells based on PTACs/P3HT blends with large open-circuit voltage

•D-A polymers bearing perylene esters (PTACs) and thiophene derivatives were designed and synthesized.•Their structures and photophysical properties were unambiguously investigated by spectroscopy.•All-polymer solar cells based on these polymers as acceptor and P3HT as donor were fabricated.•A maximum PCE of 1.1% with VOC as high as 0.92 V based on these devices have been achieved.

Four D-A polymers alternated between 3,4,9,10-tetra(n-alkoxy-carbonyl)-perylenes (PTACs) and thiophene derivatives (TT and BDT) in backbones were synthesized under Stille coupling conditions. Their structures were unambiguously verified by 1H NMR and elemental analysis. These polymers showed high-lying LUMO energy levels of about −3.50 eV due to the less electron deficient characteristics of PTACs units. All-polymer solar cells based on these PTAC-based polymers as acceptor and P3HT as donor have been fabricated. With annealing at 100 °C for 15 min, P4/P3HT blends demonstrated a power conversion efficiency of up to 1.10% with a short circuit current (JSC) of 2.9 mA/cm2, an open circuit voltage (VOC) 0.92 V, and a fill factor (FF) of 0.40, illustrating that PTACs are attractive candidates for solar cells.

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