Y6

• Y6 shows no reduction on absorption

Light degradation mechanism of non-

Absorption (a.u)
Fresh
90 min/ 1 sunlight after 90 min exposure to 1 sun
fullerene acceptor Organic Photovoltaics simulated light (AM 1.5)

PL Intensity (a.u)
400 500 600 700 800 900

incorporating PM6:Y6 based Active Layer Wavelength (nm)

• PL intensity of the light degraded Y6

A. Ioakeimidis 1*, I. T. Papadas 1,2 and S. A. Choulis1* https://web.cut.ac.cy/mep/ films shows some degree of PL
quenching (less than 50 %)
1 Molecular Electronics and Photonics Research Unit, Department of Mechanical
PM6:Y6 PM6:Y6:IDTBR
Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering, Cyprus University of Technology,
Fresh
ex.= 500 nm • Y6 exhibits less PL quenching compared
Fresh

Absorption (nm)
Absorption (nm)
Limassol, 3041 Cyprus 90 min/ 1 sunlight 90 min/ 1 sunlight 800 850 to PM6
2 Department of Public and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of
Wavelength (nm)
West Attica, Athens, Greece

PL Intensity (a.u)
PL Intensity (a.u)
*Emails: a.ioakeimidis@cut.ac.cy, stelios.choulis@cut.ac.cy IDTBR
• IDTBR shows no reduction on

Absorption (a.u.)
Fresh
400 500 600 700 800 900 400 500 600 700 800 900
90 min/ 1 sunlight
Wavelength (nm)
absorption
Introduction Wavalength (nm)
ex.=500 nm

Implementation of non-fullerene acceptors (NFA) in organic solar cells (OSC) • PL of the light degraded IDTBR films

Intensity (a.u)
400 500 600 700 800 900
Wavelength (nm)
have resulted to a rapidly increase of their PCE with the best reported shows some degree of PL quenching
efficiency being close to 19%.[1] Nevertheless, the stability of the NFA solar cell (less than 80 %)
devices under light simulated conditions requires further investigation.[2] We ex. = 500 nm
ex. = 500 nm • IDTBR exhibits less PL quenching
examined the light degradation of unencapsulated inverted organic solar based
on the binary PM6:Y6 and ternary PM6:Y6:IDTBR active layers under 1 sun 650 700 750 800 850 900 650 700 750 800 850 900 compared to PM6
simulated light (A.M. 1.5) in air and the impact of the light exposure on the Wavelength (nm) Wavelength (nm) 750 800 850 900
optical absorption and photoluminance of the respective active layers. Photoluminance (ex. = 500 nm) and (insets) optical absorption of (Left) PM6: Y6 and (Right) PM6:Y6:IDTBR Wavelength (nm)
layer on glass substrate before and after 90 min exposure to 1 sun simulated light (AM 1.5).
Conclusion
Summary “Incorporation of IDTBR mitigates the PL
Experimental results indicate that the non-fullerene OPV based active layer
quenching of the PM6 in the ternary system is directly degraded by light. Within the components of the binary PM6:Y6
• The ternary based OSC shows improved light stability in consistence with blends, PM6 is identified as the material with the most severe contribution
previous light stability report performed under white LED light in inert PM6:Y6:IDTBR compared to binary PM6:Y6” to light degradation. IDTBR mitigates the light degradation of the PM6 in the
atmosphere.[3] ternary system PM6:Y6:IDTBR with the respective devices exhibiting
• PM6 donor has the most severe light degradation contribution ITO / ZnO / Active Layer / MoO3 / Ag improved lifetime under 1 sun simulated light. Nevertheless, PM6 remains a
• Y6 and IDTRB are much more resistant to light degradation in comparison ex. = 500 nm PM6 limiting lifetime factor also within the ternary blend
to PM6 Fresh 100 Active layer
90 min/ 1 sunlight
• IDTBR mitigates the light degradation of the PM6 in the ternary system PM6:Y6
PM6:Y6:IDTBR
PL Intensity (a.u)

PM6:Y6:IDTBR References

Normilized PCE
90
Absorption (a.u.) [1]
Bao, S.; Yang, H.; Fan, H.; Zhang, J.; Wei, Z.; Cui, C.; Li, Y. Volatilizable Solid Additive-Assisted Treatment
T80 Enables Organic Solar Cells with Efficiency over 18.8% and Fill Factor Exceeding 80%. Adv. Mater. 2021,
80
Results 33 (48), 1–10.
[2]Speller, E.M., Clarke, A.J., Luke, J., Lee, H.K.H., Durrant, J.R., Li, N., Wang, T., Wong, H.C., Kim, J.-S., Tsoi,
PM6 W.C., et al. From fullerene acceptors to non-fullerene acceptors: prospects and challenges in the stability
Fresh Sample Urbach energy (meV) 400 500 600 700 800
70 of organic solar cells. J. Mater. Chem. A Mater. Energy Sustain. 2019 7, 23361–23377.
90 min / 1 sunlight unencapsulated
Fresh 27.3 Wavelength (nm)
under 1 sun simulated ligth [3]
Nicola Gasparini, Sri Harish Kumar Paleti, Jules Bertrandie, Guilong Cai, Guichuan Zhang, Andrew

Urbach tail
after 90 min light 35.3 60 Wadsworth, Xinhui Lu, Hin-Lap Yip, Iain McCulloch, and Derya Baran, Exploiting Ternary Blends for
log (α)

Improved Photostability in High-Efficiency Organic Solar Cells, ACS Energy Lett. 2020, 5, 5, 1371–1379
650 700 750 800 850 900 0 20 40 60 80 100
Urbach energy increases after 90 min light
suggesting an increase of the band tails’
Wavelength (nm) Time (min) Acknowledgments
(Left) Photoluminance (ex. = 500 nm) and (inset) optical absorption of PM6 on glass substrate before and The authors acknowledge funding from the EU Horizon 2020 research and
energetic disorder. after 90 min exposure to 1 sun simulated light (AM 1.5). (Right) PCE evolution of binary and ternary devices innovation programm under grant agreement 862474 (project RoLA-FLEX).
1.70 1.75 1.80 1.85 1.90 1.95
Energy (eV)
under 1 sun simulated light (AM 1.5) in air without encapsulation.