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In this paper, ternary polymer solar cells (PSCs) consisting of two blend donors (FTAZ and PTB7-Th) and one acceptor (N3) with similar highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy levels, different absorption peaks and cascading lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy levels are built. The ternary PSCs achieve higher photovoltaic performance and better thermal stability compared to the FTAZ:N3 binary PSCs. The A medium wavelength absorption FTAZ polymers and long wavelength absorption PTB7-Th polymers as the blend donor, and near-infrared wavelength absorption N3 as the acceptor. The optimize ternary PSCs exhibit a maximum power conversion efficiency of 15.65%, with an open-circuit voltage of 0.852 V, a short-circuit current of 25.25 mA cm − 2, and an FF of 72.5%. This performance of device is attributed to more efficient exciton dissociation and suppression of charge recombination within ternary films. The ternary PSCs also show good crystallinity and surface morphology at room temperature and after thermal annealing for 20 h at 70 °C, which is attribute to the better thermal stability of the ternary PSCs. • Ternary PSCs were fabricated with PTB7-Th as third component materials. • The improvement of charge dynamics process of ternary photoactive layer by ternary strategy. • The improved exciton-dissociation at the donor–blend acceptor interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a ternary polymer solar cell (PSCs) are fabricated by using two well-compatible donors as a blend donor (D18 as the host donor and PBDB-TF as the guest donor) and Y6 as an acceptor. The D18:Y6 and PBDB-TF:Y6 binary PSCs exhibit 13.96% and 13.42% power conversion efficiencies (PCEs), respectively. D18 and PBDB-TF have similar highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy levels, which prevents the formation of charge recombination centers within photoactive layer. The increased short-circuit current density (J SC) is mainly attributed to the complementary absorption spectra of PBDB-TF to that of D18 and Y6. In addition, the cascade lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy levels of D18 and PBDB-TF lead to improved exciton dissociation and charge transport at the D18/PBDB-TF interface. The optimized ternary PSCs show highest PCE of 14.85%. Such ternary strategy with two well-compatible donors with similar HOMO energy levels and cascade LUMO energy levels is an efficient method to realize performance improvement of PSCs. [Display omitted] • Ternary PSCs were fabricated with PBDB-TF as third component materials. • The improvement of charge dynamics process by ternary strategy. • The improved exciton-dissociation at the donor–blend acceptor interface. • The ternary PSCs with blend donor achieved a PCE of 14.85%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]