Rational Design and Engineering of Terminal Functional Groups in Dibenzothiophene‐Diphenylamine Small Molecular Electron Donors for Enhanced Photovoltaic Efficiency in All‐Small‐Molecule Organic Solar Cells

Abstract

All‐small‐molecule organic solar cells (ASM‐OSCs) offer advantages like well‐defined molecular structures and excellent reproducibility. However, lower photovoltaic efficiencies hinder their adoption due to limitations in designing small molecular electron donors (SMEDs) with optimal energy levels, light absorption, and optoelectronic properties. The present study addresses this gap by rationally designing a series of SMEDs (DBT‐2FA1 to DBT‐2FA6) through terminal acceptors engineering into dibenzothiophene core with diphenylamine side donors for potential applications in ASM‐OSCs. Density functional theory simulations are carried‐out to establish structure‐property relationships based on structural, electrochemical, photophysical, and charge transfer (CT) properties. Results show that the SMEDs exhibit low‐lying HOMOs for suitable energy level alignment with benchmark Y6 acceptor, promoting open‐circuit voltage and charge separation. The panchromatic absorption spectra covering Vis‐NIR region and maximum light harvesting efficiency are beneficial for high current‐density in ASM‐OSCs. Notably, the push‐pull mechanism within SMEDs results in dominant intramolecular CT with above 70% CT excitations. Whereas, a moderate variation in dipole moments and electrostatic potential differences with acceptor material led to 99.9% intermolecular CT, thus ensuring robust exciton dissociation and efficient photocurrent generation. Overall, this work provides a molecular‐level understanding of designing novel SMEDs and their compatibility with acceptor materials for developing future high‐performance ASM‐OSCs.