In this work, a series of polymer bulk-heterojunctions is fabricated based on the combinations of different donors (Ds) (P3HT and PCPDTBT) and acceptors (As) (PCBM, ICBA, and F8BT). Exciton quenching efficiencies of the D-A pairs are obtained in order to quantify charge-transfer between the donor and the acceptor via a modified approach developed in conjunction with experimental results of optical absorption and photoluminescence spectra. It is discovered that the exciton quenching efficiency in the combination of PCPDTBT:PCBM and P3HT:PCBM reaches 70% and over, but in PCPDTBT:ICBA it is about 12%. A relatively high ALUMOdonor_acceptor results in a relatively high exciton quenching efficiency, which is responsible for better charge separation. The results agreed well with the photocurrent effect of the heterojunction layers. The work offers a convenient way to predict a potentially promising photovoltaic material with a selected D-A pair.
In this work, we report the preparation of a series of electroluminescent (EL) devices based on a high-performance polymer, poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) (PBO), and their optoelectronic properties, which have been rarely explored. The device structure is optimised using a complex cathode structure of tris-(8-hydoxyquinoline) aluminium (Alq3)/LiF/Al. By tuning the thickness of the Alq3 layer, we improve the device efficiency dramatically in an optimized condition. Further analysis reveals that the Alq3 layer in the complex cathode structure acts as a hole blocker in addition to its electron-injection role. A green light emission with a maximum brightness of 8.7×103 cd/m2 and a moderate current efficiency of 4.8 cd/A is obtained. These values are the highest ever reported for PBO devices. The high operational stability demonstrated by the present device makes it a promising tool for display and lighting applications. A new material is added to the selection of polymers used in this field up to now.