Efficient all-polymer solar cells based on blend of tris(thienylenevinylene)-substituted polythiophene and poly[perylene diimide-alt-bis(dithienothiophene)]

A narrow band-gap alternating copolymer of perylene diimide and bis(dithienothiophene) (2) and a polythiophene derivative substituted by a tris(thienylenevinylene) conjugated side chain (4) are used as acceptor and donor, respectively, in all-polymer solar cells (SCs). The optimized device based on the blend of 4 and 2 in the ratio 3: 1 (w/w) gives a short circuit current (J(sc)) of 5.02 mA cm(-2) and a power conversion efficiency of 1.48%, under simulated AM 1.5 illumination at 100 mW cm(-2). These values are among the highest values reported for all-polymer SCs. (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics.