P3HT:PCBM, Best Seller in Polymer Photovoltaic Research

In the field of polymer-based photovoltaic cells, poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and 1-(3-methoxycarbonyl)propyl-1-phenyl[6,6]C-61 (PCBM) are, to date, the most-studied active materials around the world for the bulk-heterojunction structure. Various power-conversion efficiencies are reported up to approximately 5%. This Research News article is focused on a survey of the tremendous literature published between 2002 and 2010 that exhibits solar cells based on blends of P3HT and PCBM.