Terpolymer acceptors based on bithiophene imide for all-polymer solar cells

In order to improve light absorption and promote n-type performance, random copolymerization strategy was employed to afford a series of random terpolymer acceptors with acceptor1-acceptor2-acceptor3 (A₁-A₂-A₃) type backbone. The polymers were synthesized from distannylated electron-deficient bithiophene imide monomer with various electron-deficient dibrominated co-monomers using the typical palladium-catalyzed Stille coupling condensation polymerization. Compared with their parent polymers, these A₁-A₂-A₃ type terpolymer acceptors, particularly the dihexylthieno[3,4-b]pyrazine based terpolymer PBTP, can exhibit good miscibility, appropriate polymer crystallinity, and improved absorption in the long-wavelength region due to the incorporation of a third strong electron-withdrawing acceptor moiety thieno[3,4-b]pyrazine. Benefitting from the noncovalent S⋯N interactions, PBTP possessed a planar skeleton and achieved the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 7.35% in the polymer series when serving as the acceptor material in all-polymer solar cells. These results indicate that the A₁-A₂-A₃ type terpolymer acceptors should be promising candidates for developing high-performance all-polymer solar cells.