Evidencing Excellent Thermal- and Photostability for Single-Component Organic Solar Cells with Inherently Built-In Microstructure

Solution-processed organic solar cells (OSCs) are promising low-cost, flexible, portable renewable sources for future energy supply. The state-of-the-art OSCs are typically fabricated from a bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) active layer containing well-mixed donor and acceptor molecules in the nanometer regime. However, BHJ solar cells suffer from stability problems caused by the severe morphological changes upon thermal or illumination stress. In comparison, single-component organic solar cells (SCOSCs) based on a double-cable conjugated polymer with a covalently stabilized microstructure is suggested to be a key strategy for superior long-term stability. Here, the thermal- and photostability of SCOSCs based on a model double-cable polymer is systematically investigated. It is encouraging to find that under 90 degrees C & 1 sun illumination, the performance of SCOSCs remains substantially stable. Transport measurements show that charge generation and recombination (lifetime and recombination order) hardly change during the aging process. Particularly, the SCOSCs exhibit ultrahigh long-term thermal stability with 100% PCE remaining after heating at temperature up to 160 degrees C for over 400 h, indicating an excellent candidate for extremely rugged applications.