Effect of 1-Fluoro-2-iodobenzene Solvent Additive on the Crystallization of Donors and Acceptors, and Ultrafast Carrier Dynamics in Polymer Solar Cells

Controlled sequential crystallization of donors and acceptors is a critical factor for achieving enhanced phase separation and efficient charge transfer performance in polymer solar cells (PSCs). In this study, a comprehensive investigation of a structurally simple solvent additive, 1-fluoro-2-iodobenzene (OFIB) is conducted, which efficiently controls the morphology of the active layer, resulting in fibrous assembly and significantly enhancing the power conversion efficiency from 16.34% to 18.38% based on the PM6:L8-BO system. Density functional theory, molecular dynamics simulations, and grazing incidence small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering techniques reveal that the addition of OFIB to the processed blend aligns the orientation of the acceptor molecules, thereby enhancing the overall pi-pi stacking in the active layer. OFIB establishes nearly equal-strength pi-pi interactions with the conjugated frameworks of both the donor and acceptor materials, benefiting from the multiple electron conjugation between its iodine atom and the conjugated framework in the active layer. Femtosecond-timescale photophysical studies demonstrate that the OFIB-optimized active layer shows reduced exciton losses at the donor-acceptor interface. This study offers a new perspective on the mechanism underlying the function of solvent additives and presents a comprehensive research methodology that will guide the development of next-generation non-fullerene acceptors for efficient PSCs. A novel solvent additive is proposed to enhance the ordered donor-acceptor crystallization for improving the performance of polymer solar cells. This study offers a new perspective on the mechanism underlying the function of solvent additives and presents a comprehensive research methodology that will guide the development for efficient polymer solar cells.image