绝缘聚合物在有机太阳能电池中的应用研究进展

doi:10.1016/j.actphy.2026.100260

Abstract

Abstract: Organic solar cells (OSCs) are regarded as promising next-generation photovoltaic technologies, featuring light weight, flexibility, and compatibility with low-cost large-area solution processing. However, their large-scale commercialization is constrained by intrinsic drawbacks, including inferior power conversion efficiency (PCE) relative to inorganic counterparts, inadequate long-term operational stability under thermal and photoirradiation stress, and the challenge of reproducibly controlling and optimizing the nanoscale morphology of bulk heterojunction (BHJ) active layers—issues rooted in short exciton diffusion lengths, inefficient charge transport, and unregulated phase separation. Recently, the incorporation of low-cost insulating polymers as a third component or processing additive has emerged as a facile yet effective strategy to address these bottlenecks. This review summarizes the latest advances in insulating polymer-modified OSCs (I-OSCs), focusing on their multifaceted regulatory effects. Specifically, insulating polymers modulate BHJ morphology by tailoring the self-assembly and molecular packing of donors and acceptors; their molecular weight (M_w) and glass transition temperature (T_g) critically govern blend dynamics and final nanostructures, refining phase-separated domain sizes to form an ideal bicontinuous network. The review further elucidates the underlying mechanisms of performance enhancement: reducing non-radiative recombination to extend exciton diffusion lengths, optimizing charge transport pathways and mitigating traps, and enhancing thermal/photochemical stability by immobilizing the optimal morphology and suppressing molecular diffusion/aggregation. It also correlates the molecular structure design of insulating polymers (e.g., backbone rigidity, side-chain architecture, functional groups) with their functionalities in OSC blends. In conclusion, rationally selected insulating polymers act as multifunctional morphology regulators rather than passive fillers, synergistically optimizing nanoscale structures for efficient light harvesting and charge generation/collection while reinforcing film mechanical and morphological robustness. This low-cost approach overcomes the traditional efficiency-stability trade-off, offering an economically viable route to accelerate the industrialization and practical application of OSCs.

Key words: Insulating polymer, Organic solar cells, Morphology, Stability, Molecular structure

Tianyu Zhang, Shilin Li, Yuanwei Zhao, Jigui Tang, Yali Chen, Ze Wang, Xin Bian, Yuan Zhang, Hong Zhang, Hongjun Liu, Huiqiong Zhou. Progress of the application of insulating polymers in organic solar cells[J]. Acta Phys. -Chim. Sin. 2026, (), 100260. doi: 10.1016/j.actphy.2026.100260

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Progress of the application of insulating polymers in organic solar cells

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