Diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) derivatives are very promising nonlinear optical dyes with excellent thermal resistance and light stability. However, to the best of our knowledge, the fabrication of their organic micro- and/or nanostructures through covalent and/or noncovalent interactions to further adjust their corresponding two-photon absorption (TPA) is rarely reported. In this work, based on previous synthesis method of pyridine-containing ketopyrrolopyrroles, three dipyridyldiketopyrrolopyrroles (dipyridylDPPs) 1, 2, and 3 containing 2-, 3-, and 4-pyridyl substituents, respectively, have been prepared, which exhibit strong orange fluorescence and large TPA action cross-sections in both organic (tetrahydrofuran) and aqueous media. Importantly, fluorescent organic nanoparticles (FONs) of the di(2-pyridyl)DPP 1 prepared by the reprecipitation method displays strong two-photon emission. Meanwhile, the FONs of 1 not only exhibit Ag⁺ ions mediated self-assembly modulation, but also display low cytotoxicity and allow two-photon bioimaging in HeLa cells.

In this work, we report a new cobalt(III) complex, tris[2-(1H-pyrazol-1-yl)pyrimidine]cobalt(III) tris[bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide] (MY11), with deep redox potential (1.27 V vs NHE) as dopant for 2,2′,7,7′-tetrakis-(N,N-di-p-methoxyphenylamine)-9,9′-spirobifluorene (spiro-OMeTAD). This dopant possesses, to the best of our knowledge, the deepest redox potential among all cobalt-based dopants used in solar cell applications, allowing it to dope a wide range of hole-conductors. We demonstrate the tuning of redox potential of the Co dopant by incorporating pyrimidine moiety in the ligand. We characterize the optical and electrochemical properties of the newly synthesized dopant and show impressive spiro-to-spiro⁺ conversion. Lastly, we fabricate high efficiency perovskite-based solar cells using MY11 as dopant for molecular hole-conductor, spiro-OMeTAD, to reveal the impact of this dopant in photovoltaic performance. An overall power conversion efficiency of 12 % is achieved using MY11 as p-type dopant to spiro-OMeTAD.

A series of six structurally correlated donor–π bridge–acceptor organic dyes were designed, synthesized, and applied as sensitizers in dye-sensitized solar cells. Using the most widely studied donor (triarylamine) and cyclopenta[1,2-b:5,4-b′]dithiophene or cyclopenta[1,2-b:5,4-b′]dithiophene[2′,1′:4,5]thieno[2,3-d]thiophene as π spacers, their structure–property relationships were investigated in depth by photophysical techniques and theoretical calculations. It was found that the photovoltaic performance of these dyes largely depends on their electronic structures, which requires synergistic interaction between donors and acceptors. Increasing the electron richness of the donor or the elongation of π-conjugated bridges does not necessarily lead to higher performance. Rather, it is essential to rationally design the dyes by balancing their light-harvesting capability with achieving suitable energy levels to guarantee unimpeded charge separation and transport.

Two new electron-rich molecules, 2,3,4,5-tetra[4,4′-bis(methoxyphenyl)aminophen-4“-yl]-thiophene (H111) and 4,4′,5,5′-tetra[4,4′-bis(methoxyphenyl)aminophen-4”-yl]-2,2′-bithiophene (H112), which contain thiophene cores with arylamine side groups, are reported. When used as the hole-transporting material (HTM) in perovskite-based solar cell devices, power conversion efficiencies of up to 15.4 % under AM 1.5G solar simulation were obtained. This is the highest efficiency achieved with HTMs not composed of 2,2′,7,7′-tetrakis(N,N′-di-p-methoxyphenylamine)-9,9′-spirobifluorene (spiro-OMeTAD) and its isomers. Both HTMs, especially H111, have great potential to replace expensive spiro-OMeTAD given their much simpler and less expensive syntheses.

We report a novel electron-rich molecule based on 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (H101). When used as the hole-transporting layer in a perovskite-based solar cell, the power-conversion efficiency reached 13.8 % under AM 1.5G solar simulation. This result is comparable with that obtained using the well-known hole transporting material 2,2′,7,7′-tetrakis(N,N-di-p-methoxyphenylamine)-9,9′-spirobifluorene (spiro-OMeTAD). This is the first heterocycle-containing material achieving >10 % efficiency in such devices, and has great potential to replace the expensive spiro-OMeTAD given its much simpler and cheaper synthesis.

Developing organic chromophores with large two-photon absorption (TPA) in both organic solvents and aqueous media is crucial owing to their applications in solid-state photonic devices and biological imaging. Herein, a series of novel terpyridine-based quadrupolar derivatives have been synthesized. The influences of electron-donating group, type of conjugated bridge, as well as solvent polarity on the molecular TPA properties have been investigated in detail. In contrast to the case in organic solvents, bis(thienyl)-benzothiadiazole as a rigid conjugated bridge will completely quench molecular two-photon emission in aqueous media. However, the combination of alkylcarbazole as the donor and bis(styryl)benzene as a conjugation bridge can enlarge molecular TPA cross-sections in both organic solvent and aqueous media. The reasonable two-photon emission brightness for the organic nanoparticles of chromophores 3–5 in the aqueous media, prepared by the reprecipitation method, enables them to be used as probes for in vivo biological imaging.

Four new polymers containing a benzo[c]thiophene-N-dodecyl-4,5-dicarboxylic imide (DIITN) unit including the homopolymer and three donor–acceptor copolymers were designed, synthesized, and characterized. For these copolymers, DIITN unit with low bandgap was selected as an electron acceptor, whereas 5,5′-(2,7-bisthiophen-2-yl)-9-(2-decyltetradecyl)-9H-carbazole), 5,5′-(3,3′-di-n-octylsilylene-2,2′-bithiophene), and 5,5′-(2,7-bisthiophen-2-yl-9,9-bisoctyl-9H-fluoren-7-yl) were chosen as the electron donor units to tune the highest occupied molecular orbital/lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO/LUMO) levels of the copolymers for better light harvesting. These polymers exhibit extended absorption in the visible and near-infrared range and are soluble in common organic solvents. The relative low lying HOMO of these polymers promises good air stability and high open-circuit voltage (V_oc) for photovoltaic application. Bulk heterojunction solar cells were fabricated by blending the copolymers with [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester or [6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM). The best power conversion efficiency of 1.6% was achieved under simulated sunlight AM 1.5G (100 mW/cm²) from solar cells containing 20 wt % of the fluorene copolymer poly[5,5′-(2,7-bisthiophen-2-yl-9,9-bisoctyl-9H-fluoren-7-yl)-alt-2,9-(benzo[c]thiophene-N-dodecyl-4,5-dicarboxylic imide)] and 80 wt % of PC71BM with a high open-circuit voltage (V_oc) of 0.84 V. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012