Donor−Acceptor Poly(thiophene-block-perylene diimide) Copolymers: Synthesis and Solar Cell Fabrication

• Published in: Macromolecules Vol. 42; no. 4; pp. 1079 - 1082
• Main Authors: Zhang, Qingling, Cirpan, Ali, Russell, Thomas P, Emrick, Todd
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 24.02.2009
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Natural energy; Organic polymers; Photovoltaic conversion; Physicochemistry of polymers; Polymers with particular properties; Preparation, kinetics, thermodynamics, mechanism and catalysts; Solar cells. Photoelectrochemical cells; Solar energy; Short circuit currents; Nitroxyl; Photoluminescence; Head to tail polymer; Experimental study; Fill factor; Diimide; Open circuit voltage; Thin film; Photovoltaic cell; Perylene derivatives; Monodispersed polymer; Free radical polymerization; Grignard reaction; Metathesis polymerization; Optical properties; Morphology; Preparation; Luminescence quenching; Diblock copolymer; Acrylate copolymer; Thiophene derivative copolymer
• ISSN: 0024-9297; 1520-5835
• DOI: 10.1021/ma801504e

Donor−acceptor diblock copolymers, composed of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (rrP3HT) as the electron donor block and poly(perylene diimide acrylate) (PPDA) as the electron acceptor block, were prepared and used to fabricate a solar cell. Vinyl-terminated rrP3HT was synthesized by Grignard metathesis polymerization and converted to an alkoxyamine macroinitiator. This polythiophene macroinitiator was used in controlled free radical polymerization of a perylene diimide-containing acrylate. The targeted donor−acceptor diblock copolymers were prepared with low-to-moderate polydispersity indices (1.2−1.4) and molecular weights sufficiently high for producing films by spin-coating. These copolymers showed efficient photoluminescence quenching in the solid state, indicative of charge separation, and were used to produce a solar cell with power conversion efficiency of 0.49%.