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Program Scientific Program
POS5-0828

Bridging Sustainability and High Performance in Organic Solar Cells through Bio-Derived Solvents

When and Where

Nov 30, -0001   00:00 - 00:00

Presenter(s)

Seungho Lee (KAIST)

Co-Author(s)

Bumjoon J. Kim (KAIST), Hyerin Jeon (KAIST)

Abstract

 Organic solar cells (OSCs) have achieved remarkable progress in power conversion efficiency (PCE); however, most high-performance devices still rely on halogenated solvents, which raise environmental concerns and require inert processing environments, limiting large-scale manufacturing. Terpene-based solvents offer a sustainable alternative, but their limited solubility often results in unfavorable morphology and reduced device performance.

 Here, we demonstrate high-efficiency OSCs processed from a terpene-based eucalyptol (Eu) and Tetralin (Tet) binary solvent system. By optimizing the solvent composition, the aggregation behavior and film-formation process of the active layer were effectively controlled, resulting in improved molecular organization and charge transport. The optimized devices achieved a PCE of 18.66% under nitrogen processing and 18.40% under ambient conditions, while retaining 94.7% of their initial efficiency after 1270 h of unencapsulated air stability.

 Notably, this represents the highest efficiency reported to date for terpene-processed OSCs. By integrating outstanding photovoltaic performance with environmental sustainability and ambient-process compatibility, this work highlights the potential of bio-derived solvents as a practical platform for next-generation organic solar cells.
Supported by
Korea Tourism Organization BUSAN TOURISM ORGANIZATION
Sponsored by
Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology Advanced Materials Division Sejin CI DONGJIN SEMICHEM HAEDONG SCIENCE FOUNDATION COSMAX EcoProBM Young Eng. Sci. Doosan SAMSUNG SDI S-OIL 한국도레이과학진흥재단