Thermodynamic Phase Transition of Three-Dimensional Solid Additives Guiding Molecular Assembly for Efficient Organic Solar Cells

Abstract

Fine-tuning the thermodynamic self-assembly of molecules via volatile solid additives has emerged to be an effective way to construct high-performance organic solar cells. Here, three-dimensional structured solid molecules have been designed and applied to facilitate the formation of organized molecular assembly in the active layer. By means of systematic theory analyses and film-morphology characterizations based on four solid candidates, we preselected the optimal one, 4-fluoro-N,N-diphenylaniline (FPA), which possesses good volatility and strong charge polarization. The three-dimensional solids can induce molecular packing in active layers via strong intermolecular interactions and subsequently provide sufficient space for the self-reassembly of active layers during the thermodynamic transition process. Benefitting from the optimized morphology with improved charge transport and reduced energy disorder in the FPA-processed devices, high efficiencies of over 19 % were achieved. The strategy of three-dimensional additives inducing ordered self-assembly structure represents a practical approach for rational morphology control in highly efficient devices, contributing to deeper insights into the structural design of efficient volatile solid additives.