Organic Semiconductor Applications in Photovoltaics and Electronics

Organic semiconductors offer a versatile platform for next-generation photovoltaic and electronic devices. Their molecular nature enables tunable optoelectronic properties through chemical design, while solution processability supports low-cost, large-area fabrication on flexible substrates. In photovoltaics, these materials generate tightly bound excitons that require carefully engineered donor–acceptor interfaces—whether utilising fullerene derivatives or emerging non-fullerene acceptors—to achieve efficient charge separation and collection. In electronics, organic semiconductors underpin field-effect transistors, light-emitting diodes and sensors, with charge transport mediated by a balance between band-like mobility and thermally activated hopping. Contemporary research prioritises control of molecular packing, interface energetics and excitonic pathways to enhance performance and stability. Advances in material synthesis, energy-level engineering and exciton transport design now converge to deliver sustainable energy conversion and flexible electronic platforms of global relevance.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have demonstrated the directed transport of excitons in crystalline organic semiconductors with donor–acceptor molecular motifs, revealing anisotropic exciton bandwidths tunable by functional-group design and crystal packing. Investigations into molecular quadrupole moments have elucidated their crucial role in setting ionisation energies and electron affinities at donor–acceptor heterojunctions, enabling optimisation of charge-transfer-state energetics and dissociation barriers in organic solar cells. Characterisation of rubrene single crystals has refined the understanding of electronic band widths, showing narrower dispersions than previously assumed and emphasising the interplay between molecular vibrations and carrier mobility in organic field-effect transistors.

Organic Semiconductor Applications in Photovoltaics and Electronics publication trend

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

Technical terms

Organic semiconductor: A carbon-based material whose electronic properties arise from conjugated molecular orbitals.

Exciton: A bound electron–hole pair generated by photon absorption in a semiconductor.

Molecular quadrupole moment: A measure of spatial charge distribution affecting electrostatic interactions at interfaces.

Charge-transfer state: A bound state at a donor–acceptor interface where an electron and hole reside on adjacent molecules.

Non-fullerene acceptor: A class of organic molecules designed to replace fullerene derivatives in solar cells, offering tunable energy levels and improved stability.

References

1. Directed exciton transport highways in organic semiconductors. Nature Communications (2023).
2. Impact of molecular quadrupole moments on the energy levels at organic heterojunctions. Nature Communications (2019).
3. Polycarbazole and Its Derivatives: Synthesis and Applications. A Review of the Last 10 Years. Polymers (2020).
4. Chemical Design Rules for Non‐Fullerene Acceptors in Organic Solar Cells. Advanced Energy Materials (2021).
5. The actual electronic band structure of a rubrene single crystal. Scientific Reports (2019).
6. Energy Level Engineering in Organic Thin Films by Tailored Halogenation. Advanced Functional Materials (2020).