20.31% Efficiency Layer‐by‐Layer Organic Solar Cells Enabled by 3D Side‐Chain Topology‐Driven Dual‐Fiber Interpenetrating Networks
Constructing robust nanofibrillar networks in layer-by-layer (LbL) organic solar cells (OSCs) is challenging since small-molecule acceptors lack polymer-like interlocking capabilities. Herein, we propose a topology-driven strategy using bulky siloxane-terminated side chains to induce fibrillation. We synthesized asymmetric acceptors BTP-2Ph and BTP-3Ph by substituting one alkyl chain of L8-BO with diphenylmethylsilyl and triphenylsilyl groups, respectively. We reveal a size-dependent competition between steric hindrance and intermolecular interlocking. The bulkier triphenylsilyl group in BTP-3Ph provides strong interlocking that overrides steric-induced crystallinity loss, driving the formation of an interconnected acceptor nanofibrillar network. This creates an ideal dual-fiber morphology with the D18 donor. Consequently, the D18/BTP-3Ph device achieves an impressive 20.31% efficiency, significantly outperforming L8-BO (19.28%). Crucially, this physically interlocked framework kinetically freezes the optimal phase separation, enabling excellent operational stability with 85% initial efficiency retention after 650 h of continuous one-sun illumination.
Authors
- Xingjian Dai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-6705-2163)
- Chentong Liao
- Jiankui Zhang
- Weilin Zhou
- Qingsong Huang
- Yihui Wu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2175-7160)
- Qiang Peng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0536-2313)
- Xiaopeng Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2078-2778)
Institutions
- Chengdu University of Information Technology (CN)
- Chengdu University of Technology (CN)
- Ingenierie des Materiaux polymeres (FR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Materials
- Published
- 2026-05-16
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.73422
- Primary Topic
- Organic Electronics and Photovoltaics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- National Key Research and Development Program of China