Recent advancements in organic photovoltaic (OPV) materials have demonstrated remarkable progress in power conversion efficiency (PCE), with state-of-the-art devices achieving PCEs exceeding 19% under AM1.5G illumination. This leap is attributed to the development of non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) such as Y6 and its derivatives, which exhibit broad absorption spectra and efficient charge transport. For instance, ternary blends incorporating PM6:Y6:PC71BM have achieved a PCE of 19.2%, with a fill factor (FF) of 78.3% and a short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 27.5 mA/cm². These materials also show excellent compatibility with flexible substrates, enabling the fabrication of lightweight, bendable solar cells with minimal efficiency loss under mechanical stress.
The mechanical flexibility of OPV materials has been significantly enhanced through molecular engineering and substrate optimization. Recent studies have shown that polymer donors like PTB7-Th and PCE10, when combined with NFAs, can achieve tensile strains exceeding 15% without compromising device performance. For example, PTB7-Th:IEICO-4F-based flexible cells retained 95% of their initial PCE after 1,000 bending cycles at a radius of 5 mm. Additionally, the use of ultrathin polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates (thickness < 1 µm) has enabled the fabrication of solar cells with specific power densities > 10 W/g, making them ideal for wearable electronics and Internet of Things (IoT) applications.
Scalability and processing techniques for OPV materials have also seen significant breakthroughs. Slot-die coating and roll-to-roll (R2R) printing have emerged as cost-effective methods for large-area fabrication, achieving PCEs > 16% on flexible substrates. A recent study demonstrated R2R-printed PM6:Y6-based modules with an active area of 100 cm² achieving a PCE of 16.8%, FF of 74.5%, and Jsc of 25.3 mA/cm². Furthermore, the development of green solvents like o-xylene and tetrahydrofuran has reduced environmental impact while maintaining high device performance, paving the way for sustainable manufacturing.
Stability under operational conditions remains a critical challenge for OPV materials. Encapsulation strategies using atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Al₂O₃ layers have shown promise in extending device lifetimes to over 10,000 hours under continuous illumination at 1 sun intensity. For instance, PM6:Y6-based devices encapsulated with ALD-Al₂O₃ retained >90% of their initial PCE after 1,000 hours at 85°C and 85% relative humidity. Additionally, the incorporation of UV stabilizers and antioxidant additives has further enhanced photostability, reducing degradation rates by up to 50%.
Emerging trends in OPV research focus on integrating these materials into multifunctional systems such as building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) and transparent solar windows. Semi-transparent OPV devices using low-bandgap NFAs like ITIC-Th have achieved PCEs >12% with average visible transmittance (AVT) >25%. A recent prototype demonstrated a PCE of 12.5%, AVT of 27%, and color rendering index (CRI) >90%, making them suitable for aesthetic integration into modern architecture while generating renewable energy.
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