To function properly Organic Photovoltaics mustcontain at least two semiconducting materials with offsets in the energy oftheir molecular orbitals.  A number ofelectron-rich, semiconducting donor molecules and polymers are available.  In contrast, there are few electron-poor,semiconducting acceptor molecules.  Evenrarer are the semiconducting acceptor polymers likecyano-derivatives of poly(p-phenylenevinylenes). Our group has been working to develop andproduce new semiconducting, pi-conjugated, acceptor polymers andoligomers.  Our approach is to introducea boron atom into the pi-conjugated backbone to alter the electron density ofthe overall polymer.  Because of theabsence of electrons in the boron p orbitals, the overall pi electronic system becomeselectron-deficient and, therefore, the polymer has acceptor-like electronicproperties.  In this paper we report thesynthesis and characterization of several different air stable pi-conjugatedorganoboron polymers, and their potential use as electron acceptors in thephotoactive layer of organic photovoltaic devices.

New polymeric electron
acceptors for organic photovoltaics

242nd National Meeting (2011)

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New polymeric electron acceptors for organic photovoltaics