Molecules (Jul 2024)

The Double-Cross of Benzotriazole-Based Polymers as Donors and Acceptors in Non-Fullerene Organic Solar Cells

  • Laura Crociani

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29153625
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 29, no. 15
p. 3625

Abstract

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Organic solar cells (OSCs) are considered a very promising technology to convert solar energy to electricity and a feasible option for the energy market because of the advantages of light weight, flexibility, and roll-to-roll manufacturing. They are mainly characterized by a bulk heterojunction structure where a polymer donor is blended with an electron acceptor. Their performance is highly affected by the design of donor–acceptor conjugated polymers and the choice of suitable acceptor. In particular, benzotriazole, a typical electron-deficient penta-heterocycle, has been combined with various donors to provide wide bandgap donor polymers, which have received a great deal of attention with the development of non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) because of their suitable matching to provide devices with relevant power conversion efficiency (PCE). Moreover, different benzotriazole-based polymers are gaining more and more interest because they are considered promising acceptors in OSCs. Since the development of a suitable method to choose generally a donor/acceptor material is a challenging issue, this review is meant to be useful especially for organic chemical scientists to understand all the progress achieved with benzotriazole-based polymers used as donors with NFAs and as acceptors with different donors in OSCs, in particular referring to the PCE.

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