Enhanced Thermal Durability and Efficiency of Organic Solar Cells via Selective Organic Electron Transport Layers

For commercialization of organic solar cells, achieving high power conversion efficiency and prolonged thermal stability remains critical. We systematically investigated the thermal durability of PM6:Y6‐based organic solar cells incorporating PDINN and PFN‐Br as organic electron transport layers. PDINN‐based organic solar cells achieved an exceptional power conversion efficiency of 17.06% at room temperature and remarkably maintained >15% power conversion efficiency even under harsh 110 °C thermal treatment. In contrast, PFN‐Br‐based devices initially showed 15.26% power conversion efficiency but exhibited significantly reduced performance with increasing processing temperatures. To elucidate the contrasting thermal behaviors, we conducted a comprehensive comparative analysis of both organic electron transport layer films and their effects on the PM6:Y6 active layer through advanced thermal analysis, optical spectroscopy, surface morphological characterization, and detailed charge dynamics investigations. Our findings reveal that PDINN‐based devices demonstrated superior charge transport efficiency and effectively suppressed recombination processes under thermal stress, primarily attributed to strong hydrogen bonding interactions between PDINN's amine groups and Y6 acceptor molecules. Conversely, PFN‐Br‐based organic solar cells exhibited poor thermal durability due to detrimental bromide ion migration and accumulation at the silver electrode interface. This study demonstrates the critical importance of strategic interfacial engineering for simultaneously improving both efficiency and thermal stability of organic solar cells, providing insights for next‐generation thermally resistant organic photovoltaics.

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Publication Details

Journal
Energy & environment materials
Published
2026-01-06
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/eem2.70232
Primary Topic
Organic Electronics and Photovoltaics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Enhanced Thermal Durability and Efficiency of Organic Solar Cells via Selective Organic Electron Transport Layers

Seyeong Song, Gi‐Hwan Kim, Se Jin Baek, Harin Kim et al.
Energy & environment materials
Organic Electronics and Photovoltaics
article

Enhanced Thermal Durability and Efficiency of Organic Solar Cells via Selective Organic Electron Transport Layers

Seyeong Song, Gi‐Hwan Kim, Se Jin Baek, Harin Kim, Youngchae Cho, Hye Seon Shin, Mihyun Kim, Dong Hwan Yun
article en

Abstract

For commercialization of organic solar cells, achieving high power conversion efficiency and prolonged thermal stability remains critical. We systematically investigated the thermal durability of PM6:Y6‐based organic solar cells incorporating PDINN and PFN‐Br as organic electron transport layers. PDINN‐based organic solar cells achieved an exceptional power conversion efficiency of 17.06% at room temperature and remarkably maintained >15% power conversion efficiency even under harsh 110 °C thermal treatment. In contrast, PFN‐Br‐based devices initially showed 15.26% power conversion efficiency but exhibited significantly reduced performance with increasing processing temperatures. To elucidate the contrasting thermal behaviors, we conducted a comprehensive comparative analysis of both organic electron transport layer films and their effects on the PM6:Y6 active layer through advanced thermal analysis, optical spectroscopy, surface morphological characterization, and detailed charge dynamics investigations. Our findings reveal that PDINN‐based devices demonstrated superior charge transport efficiency and effectively suppressed recombination processes under thermal stress, primarily attributed to strong hydrogen bonding interactions between PDINN's amine groups and Y6 acceptor molecules. Conversely, PFN‐Br‐based organic solar cells exhibited poor thermal durability due to detrimental bromide ion migration and accumulation at the silver electrode interface. This study demonstrates the critical importance of strategic interfacial engineering for simultaneously improving both efficiency and thermal stability of organic solar cells, providing insights for next‐generation thermally resistant organic photovoltaics.

Energy & environment materials
Gyeongsang National University (KR)
National Research Foundation, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, National Research Foundation of Korea, Ministry of Science and ICT, South Korea, Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning
Affordable and clean energy
Openalex Percentile: Top 95%
Organic Electronics and Photovoltaics
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