Next-Generation Organic Photovoltaics: From Molecular Innovation to Real-World Applications

Solar cells using sol-gel ZnO are typically limited by the high temperature processing that is incompatible with plastic substrates. Here, the authors present a ligand-directed strategy using DMEN hat stabilizes the precursor, thus producing high quality ZnO at 70-90 °C for rigid and flexible solar cells.

The intrinsically low dielectric constant of organic semiconductors limits their application in solar cells. Wei et al. address this challenge by modulating the dielectric constant using specially designed regulators with an extended π-conjugated backbone, achieving a power conversion efficiency of 20.85%.

Perovskite–organic tandem solar cells promise very high efficiency, but progress is limited by voltage loss from non-radiative recombination in organic layers. Li et el. design an emission-active molecule that suppresses quenching, improves light use, and enables high efficiency tandem devices.

Single-component organic solar cells are more stable than blends but suffer limited efficiency from inefficient charge generation. Li et al. introduce a fluorinated double-cable polymer that accelerates charge transfer and separation, achieving 14.8% efficiency and higher photocurrent.

Shunt resistance variation limits organic photovoltaic (OPV) module performance. Here, the author identified mesoscale non-fullerene acceptor agglomerations as major shunt pathways that can be passivated by reverse bias, enabling the smallest OPV-powered IoT nodes to operate at 200 lux.

Kraus et al. report correlative real- and reciprocal-space analysis using 3D electron diffraction in a single transmission electron microscope. The technique reveals molecular texture, mosaicity, and the direct correlation between molecular packing and nanomorphology in archetypal organic blend films.

Organic solar cells need acceptor molecules with long exciton diffusion lengths, but most available materials fail in thick films. The authors design new fluorinated quinoxaline acceptors that significantly improve carrier mobilities resulting in superior efficiency in both binary and ternary devices.

Organic solar cells (OSCs) rely on morphological optimization for high efficiency. The authors show cyclobutyl-mediated interchain supramolecular interactions among acceptors, suppressing electron-phonon coupling and optimizing acceptor alloy phase morphology in ternary OSCs to achieve efficiencies approaching 21%.

Han et al. report a highly conductive composite electrode with low equivalent sheet resistance of 1.5 Ω sq-1. A self-masking method is developed to prevent shunting caused by uneven grid surfaces, enabling flexible organic solar cells with efficiencies of 15.20% (4 cm² devices) and 14.24% (16 cm² devices).

Organic solar cells face morphological and interfacial limits that reduce efficiency and stability. The authors present a vacuum-induced compaction method that builds dense, smooth interfaces, delivering large area-scalable high-performance devices.

Efficiency loss in thick film organic solar cells is a bottleneck for scalable manufacturing. Here, the authors present an exciton spin-manipulation strategy to extend exciton diffusion length and reduce non-radiative recombination losses.

Researchers show that charge transfer in organic materials can occur in under 20 femtoseconds without large energy losses. Using model donor–acceptor systems, they reveal how molecular vibrations can drive ultrafast, efficient charge separation.

Mechanical response of semiconducting polymers affects their electrical properties, yet the detail remains elusive. Zhong et al. examine the multiscale structural evolution of conjugated polymer thin films during uniaxial deformation and link it to mechanical resilience and solar cell performance.

Ultra-thin active layers for semi-transparent organic solar cells (ST-OSCs) are limited in cell-to-module efficiency. Here, the authors show thickness tolerance for ST-OSCs using aggregation control of acceptor in donor-diluted blends and the feasibility of building-integrated photovoltaics via a 600 cm² module.

Yin et al. report linear conjugated polymer donors with chlorinated backbone for modulating polymer aggregation and surface tension, and optimised compatibility with norfullerene acceptors. By using binary blends, a 20.42% efficiency is achieved for organic solar cells.