Materials Science World Congress

Organic solar cells are next prospects in renewable energy sources. They can be flexible and lightweight, with the potential of becoming cheaper than silicon-based solar cells. The case is different for the driving performance of organic solar cells: Its execution will depend mainly on the materials implemented, namely the organic semiconductors responsible for light absorption and charge transport.

An important discovery in organic photovoltaic is the development of donor and acceptor materials. Organic semiconductors such as conjugated polymers and small molecules hold enormous potential for absorption and conversion efficiency. Recent innovations in donor-acceptor heterojunction structures have brought the power conversion efficiency of OSCs closer to commercial viability.

Non-fullerene acceptors were dominated by fullerene-based acceptors in the early years of organic solar cells but have gained recent attention. Higher absorption in the visible and near-infrared regions, better energy alignment with donor materials, and improved charge separation and lower energy loss contribute to overall better performance in OSCs with NFAs.

Other major areas for research in organic solar cells are stability and scalability. To defeat the degradation problem caused by the presence of environmental factors like oxygen and moisture, new encapsulation techniques are emerging, along with alternative materials being explored that would enhance the life time span and efficiencies of the cells. The flexibility of the substrate has also enabled the use of organic solar cells into different industries such as wearable electronics, building-integrated photovoltaic among others.

In general, all these factors mentioned above, on the whole, with the incorporation of materials bearing optimal characteristics in the organic solar cells, form the key to the overall success of these devices. Further research in this direction is not explicitly focused here, but it plays an essential role in further expanding and developing this promising technology. Organic solar cells will become the leaders in the global switch toward renewable energy solutions if those advancements keep coming.