Elsevier, Dyes and Pigments, (122), p. 213-223, 2015
DOI: 10.1016/j.dyepig.2015.06.026
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Synthesis of novel acceptor-donor-acceptor oligomers with electron-withdrawing alkyldicyanovinyl groups linked through an oligothiophene π-bridge with either dithienosilole or cyclopentadithiophene electron donor units is described. Changing the bridgehead atom from carbon to silicon in the central donor unit leads to a significant change in optical, thermal and structural properties of the oligomers. In addition, elongation of the oligothiophene π-bridge in the oligomers increases energies of HOMO and LUMO levels and leads to an unexpected hypsochromic shift of their absorption spectrum, because extension of the conjugation length cannot compensate a decrease of the intramolecular charge transfer between the dithienosilole and dicyanovinyl units. Although these minor changes in the chemical structures have a pronounced impact on the morphologies of their blends with PC70BM, the optimized solution-processed organic solar cells based on these small molecules demonstrate similar power conversion efficiencies