Controlled energy shuttling in terpolymers enabling independent optimization of absorption and transport properties in organic solar cell materials

The optimization of current materials for organic solar cells is complicated by the fact that individual modifications concurrently affect several efficiency-limiting factors. For example, in donor-acceptor copolymers, the chemical optimization of the light absorption properties concurrently alters the charge transport properties and not necessarily in the desired direction. This interdependency frustrates step-wise optimization of materials for maximum power conversion efficiency. In this letter, we introduce a terpolymer which we demonstrate effectively decouples the light absorption and charge transport properties onto separate monomeric units, allowing each desired property to be independently tuned in the material and opening an avenue for step-wise, material-design-based optimization of organic solar cell quantum efficiency.