Pseudo-bilayer architecture enables high-performance organic solar cells with enhanced exciton diffusion length

Solution-processed organic solar cells (OSCs) are a promising candidate for next-generation photovoltaic technologies. However, the short exciton diffusion length of the bulk heterojunction active layer in OSCs strongly hampers the full potential to be realized in these bulk heterojunction OSCs. Herein, we report high-performance OSCs with a pseudo-bilayer architecture, which possesses longer exciton diffusion length benefited from higher film crystallinity. This feature ensures the synergistic advantages of efficient exciton dissociation and charge transport in OSCs with pseudo-bilayer architecture, enabling a higher power conversion efficiency (17.42%) to be achieved compared to those with bulk heterojunction architecture (16.44%) due to higher short-circuit current density and fill factor. A certified efficiency of 16.31% is also achieved for the ternary OSC with a pseudo-bilayer active layer. Our results demonstrate the excellent potential for pseudo-bilayer architecture to be used for future OSC applications. The so-called pseudo-bilayer (PB) organic solar cell (OSC) device architecture can promote enhanced exciton dissociation and charge transport, leading to improved device performance. Here, the authors report high-efficiency OSCs that features a PB architecture and optimized ternary system.

Automated summary

High-efficiency OSCs with a pseudo-bilayer architecture and optimized ternary system exhibit longer exciton diffusion length and higher power conversion efficiency. The pseudo-bilayer architecture shows excellent potential for future OSC applications.