Duryodhan Sahu

Synthesis and applications of novel low bandgap star-burst molecules containing a triphenylamine core and dialkylated diketopyrrolopyrrole arms for organic photovoltaics

In this study, we used facile synthetic routes to construct two well-defined starburst donor/acceptor conjugated small molecules with broad absorption features; in TPAKP-2 and TPAKP-3, triphenylamine (TPA) moieties served as electron donor core units and dialkylated diketopyrrolopyrrole (DKP) moieties with symmetrical thiophene units served as electron acceptors, in 1:2 and 1:3 ratios, respectively. Our investigation of the photophysical properties indicated that the absorption bands of TPAKP-2, and TPAKP-3 extended up to 793 nm, with low optical band gaps of 1.56 and 1.65 eV respectively. Under illumination with AM 1.5 white light (100 mW cm−2), we investigated the performance of bulk heterojunction (BHJ) photovoltaic devices incorporating an active layer of an electron-donor small molecule (TPAKP-2 or TPAKP-3) blended with an electron acceptor: [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC61BM) or [6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) at various weight ratios. The photovoltaic device containing the donor TPAKP-3 and the acceptor PC71BM at a 1:3 weight ratio exhibited the best power conversion efficiency (1.81%), with an open circuit voltage of 0.66 V, a short circuit current density of 7.93 mA cm−2, and a fill factor of 34.7%.

Synthesis and applications of main-chain Ru(II) metallo-polymers containing bis-terpyridyl ligands with various benzodiazole cores for solar cells

A series of π-conjugated bis-terpyridyl ligands (M1–M3) bearing various benzodiazole cores and their corresponding main-chain Ru(II) metallo-polymers were designed and synthesized. The formation of metallo-polymers were confirmed by NMR, relative viscosity, and UV-visible titration measurements. The effects of electron donor and acceptor interactions on their thermal, optical, electrochemical, and photovoltaic properties were investigated. Due to the strong intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) interaction and metal to ligand charge transfer (MLCT) in Ru(II)-containing polymers, the absorption spectra covered a broad range of 260–750 nm with the optical band gaps of 1.77–1.63 eV. In addition, due to the broad sensitization areas of the metallo-polymers, their bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cell devices containing [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) as an electron acceptor exhibited a high short-circuit current (Jsc). An optimum PVC device based on the blended polymer P1:PCBM = 1:1 (w/w) achieved the maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) value up to 0.45%, with Voc = 0.61 V, Jsc = 2.18 mA cm−2, and FF = 34.1% (under AM 1.5 G 100 mW cm−2), which demonstrated a novel family of conjugated polyelectrolytes with the highest PCE value comparable with BHJ solar cells fabricated from ionic polythiophene and C60.