Eco-Friendly Polymer Solar Cells: Advances in Green-Solvent Processing and Material Design

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Renewable Energy
• Green Chemistry

Background:

• Polymer solar cells (PSCs) show promise with high efficiency (>17%).
• Current fabrication relies on toxic organic solvents (e.g., chloroform), hindering commercialization.
• There is a critical need for sustainable, industrially scalable PSC production methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a roadmap for designing efficient photoactive materials compatible with green solvents.
• To review advancements in green solvents and processing techniques for non-fullerene solar cells.
• To explore truly eco-friendly fabrication using water or alcohol-based systems.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on green solvents (xylenes, toluene, tetrahydrofuran, water, alcohol) for PSCs.
• Analysis of processing methods for efficient photoactive materials in non-fullerene solar cells.
• Discussion of water/alcohol-dispersed nanoparticles and soluble photoactive materials.

Main Results:

• Identification of efficient photoactive materials suitable for non-halogenated green solvents.
• Progress in developing water/alcohol-dispersible and soluble conjugated materials.
• Emerging strategies for eliminating toxic solvents in PSC fabrication.

Conclusions:

• Transitioning to green solvents is crucial for practical and sustainable PSC applications.
• Further research is needed to address challenges in large-area coating and long-term stability.
• This review guides the development of truly clean and renewable energy sources from PSCs.