

FOLLOWUS
Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy and Information Polymer Materials, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
lianjiezhang@scut.edu.cn (L.J.Z.)
psjwchen@scut.edu.cn (J.W.C.)
Received:30 June 2026,
Accepted:28 August 2026,
Online First:26 October 2026,
Published:2026-10
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Zhang, Y. Y.; Xie, X. L.; Wang, X. K.; Lv, K. Y.; Liu, T. J.; Zhang, L. J.; Chen, J. W. Cyano-functionalized halogenated benzene additives for efficient and stable organic solar cells. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10118-026-3869-1
Yang-Yang Zhang, Xiang-Lun Xie, Xin-Kang Wang, et al. Cyano-functionalized Halogenated Benzene Additives for Efficient and Stable Organic Solar Cells[J/OL]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 441-9.
Zhang, Y. Y.; Xie, X. L.; Wang, X. K.; Lv, K. Y.; Liu, T. J.; Zhang, L. J.; Chen, J. W. Cyano-functionalized halogenated benzene additives for efficient and stable organic solar cells. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10118-026-3869-1 DOI:
Yang-Yang Zhang, Xiang-Lun Xie, Xin-Kang Wang, et al. Cyano-functionalized Halogenated Benzene Additives for Efficient and Stable Organic Solar Cells[J/OL]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 441-9. DOI: 10.1007/s10118-026-3869-1.
Volatile solid additives based on halogenated benzenes have recently emerged as pivotal components for optimizing the morphology of bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) active layers in organic solar cells (OSCs). However
the generally weak electron-withdrawing nature of halogen substituents results in restricted non-covalent interactions with the electron-deficient moieties of the acceptor. Herein
we propose a novel additive strategy involving the introduction of a non-halogenated
strongly electron-withdrawing cyano group to the benzene ring. Three cyano-functionalized halogenated benzene additives 3
5-difluorobenzonitrile (DFNB)
3
5-dichlorobenzonitrile (DCNB)
and 3
5-dibromobenzonitrile (DBNB) are designed for the first time to modulate the morphology of blend films
thereby enhancing the efficiency and stability of OSCs. In contrast to the additive-free films
the additive-processed BHJ films exhibit well-defined fibrillar network structures. The introduction of these additives effectively suppressed bimolecular recombination while promoting exciton dissociation and charge transport
leading to significantly improved photovoltaic performance of the OSCs. As a result
the DCNB-processed PM6:L8-BO devices achieved a remarkable power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 19.05% versus 17.24% of the control
while also showing superior ambient storage stability
retaining 87% of the initial PCE after 1900 h
versus 75% for the control devices. This study provides a simple strategy based on cyano-functionalized halogenated benzene additives to optimize the morphology and thus improve the efficiency and stability of OSCs.
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