The Coupling and Competition of Crystallization and Phase Separation, Correlating Thermodynamics and Kinetics In OPV Morphology and Performances

Authors

Zaiyu Wang, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Ke Gao, University of Washington
Yuanyuan Kan, University of Washington
Ming Zhang, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Chaoqun Qiu, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityFollow
Lei Zhu, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Zhe Zhao, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Xiaobin Peng, South China University of Technology
Wei Feng, State Key Laboratory of Fluorinated Functional Membrane Materials and Dongyue Future Hydrogen Energy Materials Company
Zhiyuan Qian, University of Southern MississippiFollow
Xiaodan Gu, University of Southern MississippiFollow
Alex K.Y. Jen, University of Washington
Ben Zhong Tang, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Yong Cao, South China University of Technology
Yongming Zhang, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Feng Liu, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-1-2021

School

Polymer Science and Engineering

Abstract

The active layer morphology transition of organic photovoltaics under non-equilibrium conditions are of vital importance in determining the device power conversion efficiency and stability; however, a general and unified picture on this issue has not been well addressed. Using combined in situ and ex situ morphology characterizations, morphological parameters relating to kinetics and thermodynamics of morphology evolution are extracted and studied in model systems under thermal annealing. The coupling and competition of crystallization and demixing are found to be critical in morphology evolution, phase purification and interfacial orientation. A unified model summarizing different phase diagrams and all possible kinetic routes is proposed. The current observations address the fundamental issues underlying the formation of the complex multi-length scale morphology in bulk heterojunction blends and provide useful morphology optimization guidelines for processing devices with higher efficiency and stability.

Comments

© Nature Communications. Published version found at 10.1038/s41467-020-20515-3.

Publication Title

Nature Communications

Volume

12

Issue

1

Recommended Citation

Wang, Z., Gao, K., Kan, Y., Zhang, M., Qiu, C., Zhu, L., Zhao, Z., Peng, X., Feng, W., Qian, Z., Gu, X., Jen, A., Tang, B., Cao, Y., Zhang, Y., Liu, F. (2021). The Coupling and Competition of Crystallization and Phase Separation, Correlating Thermodynamics and Kinetics In OPV Morphology and Performances. Nature Communications, 12(1).
Available at: https://aquila.usm.edu/fac_pubs/18807