Organic ternary solar cells: a review

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Photovoltaics
• Organic Electronics

Background:

• Organic solar cells (OSCs) show promise for renewable energy, with efficiencies exceeding 10%.
• A key limitation of current OSCs is the narrow spectral overlap of organic polymers within the solar spectrum.
• Ternary organic solar cells offer a strategy to overcome this limitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in ternary organic solar cell research.
• To explore the use of various sensitizers in ternary organic solar cells.
• To address critical aspects influencing the performance of ternary organic composites.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent literature on ternary organic solar cells.
• Analysis of different types of sensitizers used in ternary systems.
• Discussion of material properties and device physics.

Main Results:

• Ternary organic solar cells can extend absorption spectra to the near-infrared region.
• Enhanced light harvesting is achievable in bulk-heterojunction solar cells through ternary strategies.
• Various sensitizers have been investigated to improve performance.

Conclusions:

• Ternary organic solar cells represent a significant advancement in organic photovoltaics.
• Further research into miscibility, morphology, charge transfer, and carrier transport is crucial.
• Ternary systems hold potential for improving the industrial viability of organic solar cells.