Fluorene-based low band-gap copolymers for high performance photovoltaic devices

Low band-gap, soluble conjugated copolymers were synthesized from 9,9-dioctylfluorene and 4,7-di-2-thienyl-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole (PFO-DBT) and different composition ratios were used for the donor material in bulk heterojunction polymer photovoltaic cells (PVCs). In PVCs made with PFO-DBT:PCBM (methano-fullerene [6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester) blends, the spectral response is extended up to 650 nm and the open-circuit voltage (Voc) is improved to 0.95 V. The energy conversion efficiency (ηe) in devices with optimized composition reaches 2.24% under an AM1.5 solar simulator (78.2 mW/cm2). In contrast to organic PVCs previously published, these PVCs retain high energy conversion efficiency at illumination up to 5 suns of AM1.5 spectral illumination. This feature allows high efficiency polymer PVC modules made in combination with a light concentrator.