Boron subphthalocyanines as electron donors in outdoor lifetime monitored organic photovoltaic cells

Structural variants of boron subphthalocyanines were tested as light absorbing and electron donating materials paired with C60 in organic photovoltaic cells, in a rooftop ambient environment according to ISOS-O3 protocols. Constant current monitoring and daily current-voltage sweeps, reinforced by irradiance and temperature tracking, reveal differing degradation rates depending on the chemical structure of the boron subphthalocyanine. Results suggest that the observed initial burn-in efficiency loss observed in all devices is due to C60, but that the longer term degradation trend is attributable to the chemical breakdown of the subphthalocyanine donors through hydrolysis. These findings demonstrate that the molecular structure of boron subphthalocyanines is a significant handle on device longevity, and that a structure-property relationship can be established for stability. The results also highlight the need for alternative electron accepting materials to C60 for pairing with boron subphthalocyanines in planar heterojunction solar cells, as well as the necessity of a more robust encapsulation methodology.