Mechanically robust and stretchable organic solar cells plasticized by small-molecule acceptors

• DOI: 10.1126/science.adp9709
• Publication Date: 2025-01-23T18:59:23Z
• Authors: Zhenye Wang; Di Zhang; Lvpeng Yang; Omar Allam; Yerun Gao; Yang Su; Meichen Xu; Songmin Mo; Qinghe Wu; Zhi Wang; Junfeng Liu; Jiayi He; Rui Li; Xingwang Jia; Zhilin Li; Long Yang; Mark D. Weber; Yu Yu; Xinliang Zhang; Tobin J. Marks; Natalie Stingelin; Josh Kacher; Seung Soon Jang; Antonio Facchetti; Ming Shao
• Keywords: Miscibility; Acceptor; Ductility (Earth science); Strain (injury); Electron acceptor

Emerging wearable devices would benefit from integrating ductile photovoltaic light-harvesting power sources. In this work, we report a small-molecule acceptor (SMA), also known as non–fullerene (NFA), designed for stretchable organic solar cell ( s -OSC) blends with large mechanical compliance and performance. Blends of the organosilane-functionalized SMA BTP-Si4 polymer donor PNTB6-Cl achieved conversion efficiency (PCE) >16% ultimate strain (ε u ) >95%. Typical SMAs suppress OSC blend ductility, but addition enhances it. Although is less crystalline than other SMAs, it retains considerable electron mobility highly miscible essential enhancing ε . Thus, -OSCs PCE > 14% operating normally under various deformations (>80% retention an 80% strain) were demonstrated. Analysis several SMA-polymer revealed general molecular structure–miscibility–stretchability relationships designing blends.