Abstract:
Guided by the previously discovered relationships between the molecular structure of the conjugated polymers and their photostability, herein, we have successfully designed and synthesized new conjugated polymers incorporating thiophene, 2,1,3-benzotriazole and carbazole units employing the Stille coupling. The polymers exhibited record-high stability under UV light exposure, outperforming a well-known and fairly stable benchmark material, PCDTBT. The presented novel materials can be promising electron-donor components for the new generation of organic solar cells fitting the ‘golden triangle’, i.e., showing high efficiency, long operational lifetimes, and low cost of the used raw materials.