Efficient Vacuum‐Deposited Organic Solar Cells Based on a New Low‐Bandgap Oligothiophene and Fullerene C₆₀

Abstract

Organic solar cells based on a new oligothiophene derivative (see figure) and fullerene C60 exhibit power efficiencies of up to 3.4 %. α,α′-Bis(2,2-dicyanovinyl)-quinquethiophene (DCV5T) features a reduced optical gap with high absorption coefficients between 450 and 650 nm. Dicyanovinyl substituents on the oligothiophene rings lower the bandgap and increase the ionization energy of these oligomers, enabling the formation of photoactive heterojunctions with C60 and yielding open-circuit photovoltages as high as 1 V.