Mechanisms for improved high-speed processability of active layer materials in bulk-heterojunction organic photovoltaics

High-speed coating of organic photovoltaic (OPV) materials enables rapid production on a large scale, markedly reducing manufacturing costs. However, chemists and materials scientists have been mainly concerned with the device efficiency and stability issues of OPV materials, with minimal attention given to their high-speed coating capabilities. Herein we systematically investigated the high-speed coating capabilities of the active layer systems based on twenty-six small molecule acceptors (SMAs), including PCBM series, ITIC series, M3 series, and Y6 series. Through an extensive analysis of fluid dynamics simulations, film formation dynamics, and Hansen solubility parameters of relevant OPV materials, we evaluated their A_h (Affinity to high-throughput fabrication) values. Importantly, key SMA-structural features related to crystallization behavior of OPVmaterials during high-speed manufacturing were identified, which indicates the path for promoting the high-speed coating tolerance of OPV materials. This research underscores the importance of integrating high-speed coating properties into material design and D/A matching, facilitating the development of next-generation OPV materials.