Optimizing nanoscale morphology and improving carrier transport of PCDTBT-PCBM bulk heterojunction by cyclic carboxylate nucleating agents

Abstract In this work, four cyclic carboxylate commercial nucleating agents, bicyclo [2.2.1] heptane-2,3-dicarboxylic acid disodium salt (HPN-68L), sodium salt of hexahydrophthalic acid (HHPA-Na), sodium benzoate (Be-Na) and calcium salt of hexahydrophthalic acid (HPN-20E) were respectively added into poly[N-9′-heptadecanyl-2,7-carbazole-alt-5,5-(4′,7′-di-2-thienyl-2′,1′,3′ benzothiadi-azole)] (PCDTBT)-[6,6]-phenyl C 61 -butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) blend. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and UV–vis measurements indicate that the addition of carboxylic acid sodium salts can effectively optimize the morphology of active layer, decrease the phase domain size and increase the optical absorption intensity of PCDTBT-PCBM blends. The PCDTBT-PCBM-additive ternary devices were fabricated and found that adding carboxylic acid sodium salts can improve the hole mobility, balance the hole and electron mobility and finally increase the power conversion efficiency (PCE). Fixed the additive content as 5%, the modulation ability of the bicyclic dicarboxylic acid sodium salt HPN-68L is best, monocyclic dicarboxylic acid sodium salt HHPA-Na comes second, monocyclic carboxylic acid sodium salt Be-Na is worst. The addition of carboxylic acid calcium salt HPN-20E has no effects on the morphology and optical absorption intensity of the PCDTBT-PCBM blend, and the photoelectric properties of PCDTBT-PCBM-HPN-20E ternary device decreases in comparison with those of pristine PCDTBT-PCBM binary device. The modulation ability of cyclic carboxylate is related to its surface free energy and its location in the PCDTBT-PCBM blend. HPN-68L locates in the interfacial region between PCDTBT and PCBM, other cyclic carboxylates locates in the PCBM. Our finding suggests the addition of cyclic carboxylic acid sodium salts can be a facile approach to optimize the morphology and increase the electrical properties of organic materials for future development of organic photovoltaic devices.