Decoupling Complex Multi-Length-Scale Morphology in Non-Fullerene Photovoltaics with Nitrogen K-Edge Resonant Soft X-ray Scattering

Complex morphology in organic photovoltaics (OPVs) and other functional soft materials commonly dictates performance. Such complexity in OPVs originates from the mesoscale kinetically trapped non-equilibrium state, which governs device charge generation and transport. Resonant soft X-ray scattering (RSoXS) has been revolutionary in the exploration of OPV morphology in the past decade due to its chemical and orientation sensitivity. However, for non-fullerene OPVs, RSoXS analysis near the carbon K-edge is challenging, due to the chemical similarity of the materials used in active layers. An innovative approach is provided by nitrogen K-edge RSoXS (NK-RSoXS), utilizing the spatial and orientational contrasts from the cyano groups in the acceptor materials, which allows for determination of phase separation. NK-RSoXS clearly visualizes the combined feature sizes in PM6:Y6 blends from crystallization and liquid-liquid demixing, while PM6:Y6:Y6-BO ternary blends with reduced phase-separation size and enhanced material crystallization can lead to current amplification in devices. Nitrogen is common in organic semiconductors and other soft materials, and the strong and directional N 1s -> pi* resonances make NK-RSoXS a powerful tool to uncover the mesoscale complexity and open opportunities to understand heterogeneous systems.

Automated summary

Complex morphology plays a crucial role in determining the performance of organic photovoltaics and other functional soft materials. Resonant soft X-ray scattering has been revolutionary in exploring the morphology of OPVs over the past decade. The utilization of nitrogen K-edge RSoXS provides an innovative approach to address challenges in analyzing non-fullerene OPVs, offering spatial and orientational contrasts for phase separation determination.