Organic Photovoltaics and Electronic Materials

The field of organic photovoltaics (OPVs) and electronic materials encompasses the design, synthesis and integration of carbon-based semiconductors into devices that convert light into electricity or process electronic signals. Organic semiconductors—ranging from small molecules to conjugated polymers and π-extended macrocycles—offer tunable optical absorption, mechanical flexibility and solution processability. Device architectures span bulk-heterojunction blends, planar and Schottky configurations, each addressing the challenges of exciton diffusion, charge separation and transport. Advances in molecular engineering have led to non-fullerene acceptors, chiral semiconductors and high-octupole-moment materials that improve power conversion efficiencies, operational stability and spectral response. Interface engineering, including the introduction of tailored interlayers, further mitigates recombination losses and enhances open-circuit voltages. Together, these developments are steering organic photovoltaics towards scalable, low-cost and sustainable energy technologies with applications in flexible electronics, photodetectors and wearable power sources.

Research from Nature Portfolio

One recent study demonstrated that a chlorinated subphthalocyanine with a high octupole moment can generate free charges directly within a single-component photoactive layer. Devices employing this material achieved detectivities approaching 10¹³ Jones and ultra-low dark currents, with molecular modelling attributing performance gains to an octupole-induced shift in energy levels. Another foundational investigation introduced thin organic interlayers in Schottky barrier solar cells to balance exciton separation and charge blocking. This interfacial modification boosted power conversion efficiencies by over 180 %, achieving open-circuit voltages above 1.4 V in planar heterojunction configurations and highlighting the critical role of interface control in organic device optimisation.

Organic Photovoltaics and Electronic Materials publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in organic photovoltaics and electronic materials across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Organic photovoltaic (OPV): A solar cell that uses carbon-based semiconductors to convert light into electricity.

Bulk-heterojunction (BHJ): An interpenetrating network of donor and acceptor materials that facilitates exciton dissociation and charge transport.

Octupole moment: A third-order molecular charge distribution parameter that influences intermolecular electrostatic interactions.

Schottky barrier: A metal–semiconductor junction exhibiting rectifying behaviour and used for charge separation in solar cells.

Photoactive layer: The semiconductor film where photon absorption and initial charge generation occur.

Mesogen: A molecule that induces liquid-crystalline order, enabling anisotropic charge transport.

References

1. Octupole moment driven free charge generation in partially chlorinated subphthalocyanine for planar heterojunction organic photodetectors. Nature Communications (2024).
2. Interface Engineering of Organic Schottky Barrier Solar Cells and Its Application in Enhancing Performances of Planar Heterojunction Solar Cells. Scientific Reports (2016).
3. Naphthalimide-Fused Subphthalocyanines: Electron-Deficient Materials Prepared by Cascade Annulation. ACS Materials Letters (2023).
4. Polarity in Liquid Crystals Formed by Self-Assembled Umbrella-Shaped Subphthalocyanine Mesogens. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (2024).