Design, synthesis and photovoltaic properties of a series of new acceptor-pended conjugated polymers

A series of novel acceptor-pended conjugated polymers featuring a newly developed carbazole-derived unit are designed and synthesized. The relationships between chemical structure and optoelectronic properties of the polymers are systematically investigated. The control of UV-Vis absorption spectra and energy levels in resulting polymers are achieved by introducing suitable pended acceptor units. The photovoltaic properties of the resulting polymers are evaluated by blending the polymers with (6,6)-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester. The resulting solar cells exhibit moderate performances with high open-circuit voltage. Charge transport properties and morphology were investigated to understand the performance of corresponding solar cells.