High efficiency small molecule-based donor materials for organic solar cells

Organic photovoltaic (OPV) materials, especially small molecule donor materials (SMDMs) have enormous potential to revolutionize the solar energy sector. However, to be a viable alternative to the polymer donor counterparts, SMDMs must have high power conversion efficiency (PCE). A large number of different SMDMs have been reported, which have crossed the 10% threshold of the PCE for commercialization. In this review, we present the SMDMs that have been developed in recent years capable of generating moderate to high-efficiency photovoltaic devices. The steady rise in the variety of materials and PCE values in recent years, point to a bright future for SMDMs as solar energy materials.