Engineering

Ecology

Biology

Materials science

Computer science

Chemical engineering

Ternary operation

Polymer

Organic chemistry

Thiophene

Copolymer

Composite material

Chemistry

Programming language

Energy conversion efficiency

Organic solar cell

Optoelectronics

Photovoltaic system

Advanced Materials

Ternary blending and copolymerization strategies have proven advantageous in boosting the photovoltaic performance of organic solar cells. Here, 15% efficiency solar cells using copolymerization donors are demonstrated, where the electron-withdrawing unit, ester-substituted thiophene, is incorporated into a PBDB-TF polymer to downshift the molecular energy and broaden the absorption. Copolymer-based solar cells suitable for large-area devices can be fabricated by a blade-coating method from a nonhalogen and nonaromatic solvent mixture. Although ternary solar cells can achieve comparable efficiencies, they are not suitable for environment-friendly processing conditions and show relatively low photostability compared to copolymer-based devices. These results not only demonstrate high-efficiency organic photovoltaic cells via copolymerization strategies but also provide important insights into their applications in practical production.

Achieving Over 15% Efficiency in Organic Photovoltaic Cells via Copolymer Design