Tuning the optoelectronic properties of ZOPTAN core-based derivatives by varying acceptors to increase efficiency of organic solar cell

Maham Salim; Mahira Rafiq; Yaser A El-Badry; Rasheed Ahmad Khera; Muhammad Khalid; Javed Iqbal

doi:10.1007/s00894-021-04922-x

Tuning the optoelectronic properties of ZOPTAN core-based derivatives by varying acceptors to increase efficiency of organic solar cell

J Mol Model. 2021 Oct 10;27(11):316. doi: 10.1007/s00894-021-04922-x.

Authors

Maham Salim¹, Mahira Rafiq¹, Yaser A El-Badry², Rasheed Ahmad Khera³, Muhammad Khalid⁴, Javed Iqbal^{5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan.
² Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Taif University, Khurma, P.O. Box 11099, Taif , 21944, Saudi Arabia.
³ Department of Chemistry, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan. rasheedahmadkhera@yahoo.com.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering & Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, 64200, Pakistan.
⁵ Department of Chemistry, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan. javedkhattak79@gmail.com.
⁶ Punjab Bio-Energy Institute, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan. javedkhattak79@gmail.com.

PMID: 34628569
DOI: 10.1007/s00894-021-04922-x

Abstract

In this theoretical study, quantum chemical analysis of five novel non-fullerene donor molecules designed from recently reported highly efficient (11.5%) donor molecule P2TBR, containing non-fused ring central thiophene-benzene-thiophene core, 2-D benzodithiophene donors, and end capped 3-methylrhodanine acceptors, has been performed to evaluate the photovoltaic parameters and their application in organic solar cells. These donor molecules consist of centrally introduced acrylonitrile acceptors in between thiophene-benzene-thiophene core of P2TBR, namely M1. Compounds M2-M5 were designed from M1 containing ZOPTAN core, through peripheral acceptor group modification by 2-methylenemalononitrile (M2), methyl 2-cyanoacrylate (M3), 2-(5,6-difluoro-2-methylene-3-oxo-2,3-dihydroinden-1-ylidene) malononitrile (M4), and 2-(3-methyl-5-methylene-4-oxothiazolidin-2-ylidene) malononitrile (M5). DFT and TD-DFT simulations of all molecules including reference were carried out using MPW1PW91 functional in conjunction with 6-31G (d, p) basis set. Optoelectronic properties, exciton dynamics, electron density distribution pattern, and charge mobility were further analyzed by absorption spectra, TDM plots, frontier molecular orbitals (FMO) analysis, and calculation of reorganization energies, respectively. Results reveal that central addition and end capped modification of acceptors in designed molecules proved to be effective strategy to finely tune the electronic and optical characteristics. Amongst all designed molecules, M4 exhibited improved opto-electronic parameters such as highest maximum absorption (695 nm) in chloroform, least band gap (2.24 eV), lowest values of λ_h (0.0034 eV), and λ_e (0.0054 eV) and lowermost binding energy (0.46 eV), because of mutual effect of extended pi-conjugation and significant electron pulling nature of terminal acceptors. Moreover, higher dipole moment, lower values of hole reorganization energy, and improved V_oc of designed molecules than reference (R) make them efficient donors to enhance PCE of photovoltaic materials.

Keywords: DFT and TD-DFT; Open circuit voltage; P2TBR; Photovoltaic materials; Photovoltaic properties.

MeSH terms

Benzene / chemistry*
Electrons
Fullerenes
Models, Theoretical*
Molecular Structure
Quantum Theory*
Solar Energy
Thiophenes / chemistry*

Substances

Fullerenes
Thiophenes
Benzene