Unveiling the Strain‐induced Microstructural Evolution and Morphology‐Stretchability Correlations of Intrinsically Stretchable Organic Photovoltaic Films

Abstract

AbstractThe progress of stretchable and wearable photovoltaics relies heavily on intrinsically stretchable active layer films. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of research clarifying the connections between their microstructure, performance, and their adaptation to large strain in polymer electronic films. The current study utilizes multiple synchrotron X‐ray scattering methods to collectively examine the correlations between morphology and stretchability, as well as the microstructural evolution induced by stretching in three sample cases of highly stretchable ternary blend films. These blends contain over 30% by weight of a polymer elastomer, such as styrene‐ethylene‐butylene‐styrene block copolymer, integrated into the high‐performance polymer:nonfullerene small molecule mixture. Specifically, the real‐time microstructural changes of these durable organic photovoltaic films with elastomers are monitored when subjected to tensile stretching through in situ synchrotron X‐ray scattering. The experiments demonstrate that polymeric elastomers can effectively lower the degree of crystallinity in films and deform the crystallites of semiconductor molecules. The elastomeric component aids in stress dispersion during stretching, thereby improving the microstructural durability of blend films. This study provides new recommendations for advancing stretchable organic optoelectronic devices.