Development of Photovoltaic Systems Utilizing Nanostructure Formation of Liquid-Crystalline Semiconductors

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Low-bandgap liquid-crystalline organic semiconductors, which have strong visible absorption characteristics in the range of 400-700 nm, have been designed and synthesized. These materials exhibits liquid-crystalline properties and forms well-developed nanostructured bulk heterojunctionarchitectures with a fullerene derivative (PCBM). The morphologies of the blend thin films have been examined by polarizing optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis. The effects of liquid-crystalline properties on photovoltaic device performances have been studied. Organic solar cells employing the bulk heterojunction blend films show a power conversion efficiency exceeding 4% with a high open-circuit voltage of about 1 V. These results demonstrate that liquid-crystalline organization to direct molecular self-assembly is a promising strategy for fabricating high-performance solution-processed small-molecule organic solar cells.