Synthesis, Photovoltaic properties and side-chain effect of copolymer containing phenothiazine and 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole

Abstract

In this study, three kinds of polymers based on phenothiazine-benzothiadiazole were synthesized by a Suzuki coupling reaction, and the various side-chains were substituted at the nitrogen of phenothiazine. The optical and electrochemical properties of synthesized polymers were analyzed. The results indicate that their absorption ranged from 300 to 700 nm, and also confirmed the ideal highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy level was about -5.4 eV with low band-gap energy. Photovoltaic devices were fabricated using a photoactive layer composed of a blended solution of the polymer and Pc71BM in ortho-dichlorobenzene The device with P2HDPZ-bTP-OBT containing the branched side-chain and long chain showed the best performance; the maximum power conversion efficiency of this device was 2.4% (with VOC: 0.74 V, JSC: 6.9 mA/cm2, FF: 48.0%).