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Research Article

Color-neutral, semitransparent organic photovoltaics for power window applications

View ORCID ProfileYongxi Li, Xia Guo, Zhengxing Peng, Boning Qu, Hongping Yan, Harald Ade, View ORCID ProfileMaojie Zhang, and View ORCID ProfileStephen R. Forrest
PNAS September 1, 2020 117 (35) 21147-21154; first published August 17, 2020; https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2007799117
Yongxi Li
aDepartment of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109;
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  • ORCID record for Yongxi Li
Xia Guo
bCollege of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, 215123 Suzhou, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China;
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Zhengxing Peng
cDepartment of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695;
dOrganic and Carbon Electronics Laboratories (ORaCEL), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, 27695;
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Boning Qu
eDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109;
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Hongping Yan
fStanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025
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Harald Ade
cDepartment of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695;
dOrganic and Carbon Electronics Laboratories (ORaCEL), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, 27695;
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Maojie Zhang
bCollege of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, 215123 Suzhou, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China;
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  • ORCID record for Maojie Zhang
  • For correspondence: mjzhang@suda.edu.cn stevefor@umich.edu
Stephen R. Forrest
aDepartment of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109;
eDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109;
gDepartment of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
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  • ORCID record for Stephen R. Forrest
  • For correspondence: mjzhang@suda.edu.cn stevefor@umich.edu
  1. Contributed by Stephen R. Forrest, July 1, 2020 (sent for review May 13, 2020; reviewed by Yonggang Huang and Jiangeng Xue)

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Significance

We demonstrate a semitransparent organic photovoltaic cell that achieves a power conversion efficiency of 10.8% and visible transparency of ∼50% using a nonfullerene acceptor (NFA) featuring strong near-infrared (NIR) absorption and simple synthesis. Contrary to expectations, stronger NIR absorption and closer molecular packing are obtained by employing an additive in these partially, instead of fully fused, rigid NFAs. By combining NIR-absorbing material sets with an optical outcoupling structure as well as transparent electrode, we overcome the trade-offs between efficiency, transparency, and device appearance. These results surpass other semitransparent solar cell technologies based on organic and other thin-film materials systems, showing a promising future for ST-OPVs as power-generating windows and other solar energy harvesting applications.

Abstract

Semitransparent organic photovoltaic cells (ST-OPVs) are emerging as a solution for solar energy harvesting on building facades, rooftops, and windows. However, the trade-off between power-conversion efficiency (PCE) and the average photopic transmission (APT) in color-neutral devices limits their utility as attractive, power-generating windows. A color-neutral ST-OPV is demonstrated by using a transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) anode along with a narrow energy gap nonfullerene acceptor near-infrared (NIR) absorbing cell and outcoupling (OC) coatings on the exit surface. The device exhibits PCE = 8.1 ± 0.3% and APT = 43.3 ± 1.2% that combine to achieve a light-utilization efficiency of LUE = 3.5 ± 0.1%. Commission Internationale d’eclairage chromaticity coordinates of (0.38, 0.39), a color-rendering index of 86, and a correlated color temperature of 4,143 K are obtained for simulated AM1.5 illumination transmitted through the cell. Using an ultrathin metal anode in place of ITO, we demonstrate a slightly green-tinted ST-OPV with PCE = 10.8 ± 0.5% and APT = 45.7 ± 2.1% yielding LUE = 5.0 ± 0.3% These results indicate that ST-OPVs can combine both efficiency and color neutrality in a single device.

  • organic solar cell
  • efficiency
  • nonfullerene acceptor
  • building-integrated photovoltaic
  • semitransparent

Footnotes

  • ↵1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: mjzhang{at}suda.edu.cn or stevefor{at}umich.edu.
  • Author contributions: Y.L. and S.R.F. designed research; Y.L., X.G., Z.P., B.Q., and H.Y. performed research; Y.L., X.G., Z.P., B.Q., H.Y., H.A., M.Z., and S.R.F. analyzed data; and Y.L., X.G., Z.P., B.Q., H.Y., H.A., M.Z., and S.R.F. wrote the paper.

  • Reviewers: Y.H., Northwestern University; and J.X., University of Florida.

  • Competing interest statement: S.R.F. has an ownership interest in one of the sponsors of this research, Universal Display Corp. This conflict is under management by the University of Michigan Office of Research.

  • This article contains supporting information online at https://www.pnas.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1073/pnas.2007799117/-/DCSupplemental.

Data Availability.

All study data are included in the article and SI Appendix, including cyclic voltammetry measurements, genetic algorithm calculations, and synthesis details.

Published under the PNAS license.

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Color-neutral, semitransparent organic photovoltaics for power window applications
Yongxi Li, Xia Guo, Zhengxing Peng, Boning Qu, Hongping Yan, Harald Ade, Maojie Zhang, Stephen R. Forrest
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Sep 2020, 117 (35) 21147-21154; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2007799117

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Color-neutral, semitransparent organic photovoltaics for power window applications
Yongxi Li, Xia Guo, Zhengxing Peng, Boning Qu, Hongping Yan, Harald Ade, Maojie Zhang, Stephen R. Forrest
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Sep 2020, 117 (35) 21147-21154; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2007799117
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