Synthesis of the diketopyrrolopyrrole/terpyridine substituted carbazole derivative based polythiophenes for photovoltaic cells

A series of conjugated polythiophenes (PTs) having low band gap energies (PDPP, PDPCz21, PDPCz11), with 2-ethylhexyl-functionalized 2,5-thienyl diketopyrrolopyrrole (TDPP) as the electron acceptor and terpyridine-substituted carbazole (TPCz) as the electron donor, have been synthesized and studied for their applicability in polymer-based photovoltaic cells (PVCs). The thermal stability and solvent solubility of PTs increased upon increasing the content of the TPCz derivative. PVCs were fabricated having the following architecture: indium tin oxide/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrenesulfonate/PT:6,6-phenyl-C(71)-butyric acid methyl ester (PC(71)BM)/Ca/Ag. The compatibility between the PT and PC(71)BM improved upon increasing the TPCz content. The photovoltaic properties of the PDPCz21-based PVCs were superior to those of their PDPP- and PDPCz11-based counterparts.