{
  "abstract": "High-performing organic photovoltaics (OPVs) rely not only on the appropriate energetics and interfaces for separating excitons into charges, but on distinct areas of donor-rich and acceptor-rich domains to transport those charges to electrodes once separated. In this work, we study a bulk heterojunction (BHJ) of well-studied poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) and a non-fullerene acceptor with an A1-D-A2-D-A1 motif, octyl rhodanine-thiophene-benzothiadiazole-thiophene-octyl rhodanine (ORTBT). Using device characterization and time-resolved spectroscopic techniques, we show that despite promising picosecond photophysical properties P3HT:ORTBT blends do not lead to long-lived charges due to overly-imbalanced mixing between the ORTBT acceptor and P3HT donor on length scales that are either too small or too large. We compare results with a prototypical BHJ, P3HT and PC61BM fullerene to understand the photophysical differences in the exciton dissociation dynamics. The significant mixing in P3HT:ORTBT disrupts the crystalline regions of the P3HT that are necessary for effective hole transport. This work demonstrates the need to consider both the chemical and physical properties of non-fullerene acceptors to achieve an optimal balance of donor-acceptor mixing that facilitates high exciton dissociation efficiency and long-lived carrier transport pathways in the bulk.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Chemistry and Nanoscience Center",
    "National Laboratory of the Rockies",
    "Chemistry Department",
    "Colorado School of Mines",
    "Department of Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering",
    "Department of Physics, and ◊ RASEI",
    "University of Colorado"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 10,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Bryon W. Larson"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Melissa K. Gish"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Unsal Koldemir"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4,
        5,
        6
      ],
      "name": "David P. Ostrowski"
    },
    {
      "name": "Kathryn A. O’Hara"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4,
        5,
        6
      ],
      "name": "Sean E. Shaheen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Alan Sellinger"
    },
    {
      "name": "Michael L. Chabinyc"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Nikos Kopidakis"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Andrew J. Ferguson",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-2544-1753"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/57xam1tvr7x93.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.26434/chemrxiv.15009722/v1",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "57xam1tvr7x93",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15009722/v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2208|Organic Electronics and Photovoltaics"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7215057095",
  "pdf_url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/pdf/10.26434/chemrxiv.15009722/v1",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-01",
  "publisher": "American Chemical Society (ACS)",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/57xam1tvr7x93.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:21Z",
      "native_id": "10.26434/chemrxiv.15009722",
      "source": "chemrxiv",
      "url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15009722/v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "chemistry",
      "origin": "source:chemrxiv",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Probing Nanoscale Carrier Dynamics in P3HT Blended with a Non-Fullerene Acceptor: Impact of Mixing on Device-Relevant Carrier Generation",
  "title_text": "Probing Nanoscale Carrier Dynamics in P3HT Blended with a Non-Fullerene Acceptor: Impact of Mixing on Device-Relevant Carrier Generation",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:21Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/57xam1tvr7x93",
  "venue": "ChemRxiv",
  "versions": []
}