Efficient Polymer Solar Cells Based on New Random Copolymers with Porphyrin-Incorporated Side Chains

Two new wide bandgap block copolymers (PL1 and PL2) with porphyrin-incorporated side chains are designed and used as electron donors for solution-processed bulk heterojunction polymer solar cells. The photophysical, electrochemical, and photovoltaic properties, charge transport mobility and film morphology of these two block copolymers are investigated. Detailed investigations reveal that the different alkyl groups and electron-withdrawing substituents on the porphyrin pendant units have significant influence on the polymer solubility, absorption energy level, band gap, and charge separation in the bulk-heterojunction thin films, and thus the overall photovoltaic performances. Organic photovoltaic devices derived from these copolymers and ([6,6]-phenyl-C₇₁-butyric acid methyl ester) (PC₇₁BM) acceptor show the best power conversion efficiencies of 5.83% and 7.14%, respectively. These results show that the inclusion of a certain proportion of side chain porphyrin group as a pendant in the traditional donor-acceptor (D-A) type polymer can broaden the molecular absorption range and become a full-color absorbing molecule. The size of the porphyrin pendant also has an obvious effect on the properties of the molecule.