To simultaneously improve both open-circuit voltage (Voc) and short-circuit current density (Jsc) for organic solar cells, a novel D(A-π-Ar)3 type of photovoltaic small molecules of TPA(FxBT-T-3Cz)3 was designed and synthesized, which contain central triphenylamine (TPA), terminal carbazole (Cz), armed fluorine-substituted benzothiadiazole (FxBT, where x = 1 or 2), and bridged thiophene (T) units. A narrowed ultraviolet-visible absorption and a decreasing highest occupied molecular orbital energy level were observed from TPA(F1BT-T-3Cz)3 to TPA(F2BT-T-3Cz)3 with increasing fluorine substitution. However, the TPA(F2BT-T-3Cz)3/PC71BM-based solar devices showed a rising Voc of 1.01 V and an enhanced Jsc of 10.84 mA cm-2 as well as a comparable power conversion efficiency of 4.81% in comparison to the TPA(F1BT-T-3Cz)3/PC71BM-based devices. Furthermore, in comparison to the parent TPA(BT-T-3Cz)3 molecule without fluorine substitution, the fluorine-substituted TPA(FxBT-T-3Cz)3 molecules exhibited significantly incremental Voc and Jsc values in their bulk heterojunction organic solar cells, owing to fluorine incorporation in the electron-deficient benzothiadiazole unit.
Keywords: fluorine-substituted benzothiadiazole; organic solar cells; photovoltaics; star-type small molecules; triphenylamine.