Anthradithiophene (ADT)-Based Polymerized Non-Fullerene Acceptors for All-Polymer Solar Cells

: Realizing efficient all-polymer solar cell (APSC) acceptors typically involves increased building block synthetic complexity, hence potentially unscalable syntheses and/or prohibitive costs. Here we report the synthesis, characterization, and implementation in APSCs of three new polymer acceptors P1-P3 using a scalable donor fragment, bis(2-octyldodecyl)anthra[1,2-b:5,6-b']dithiophene-4,10-dicarboxylate (ADT) co-polymerized with the high-efficiency acceptor units, NDI, Y6, and IDIC. All three copolymers have comparable photophysics to known polymers, however APSCs fabricated by blending P1, P2 and P3 with donor polymers PM5 and PM6 exhibit modest power conversion efficiencies (PCEs), with the champion P2-based APSC achieving PCE = 5.64%. Detailed morphological and microstructural analysis by AFM and GIWAXS reveal a non-optimal APSC active layer morphology which suppresses charge transport. Despite the modest efficiencies, these APSCs demonstrate the feasibility of using ADT as a scalable and inexpensive electron rich/donor building block for APSCs.