Asymmetric Non-Fullerene Small-Molecule Acceptors toward High-Performance Organic Solar Cells

Applying an asymmetric strategy to construct non-fullerene small molecule acceptors (NFSMAs) in organic solar cells (OSCs) plays a vital role in the development of organic photovoltaic materials. In the past several years, taking advantage of the larger dipole moment and stronger intermolecular interactions, asymmetric NFSMAs have witnessed tremendous progress in OSCs with a power conversion efficiency of over 18%. From a structural point of view, besides the possible changes in the conformation effect on molecular packing, asymmetric acceptors can also achieve a balance between the solubility and the crystallinity. Herein, we systematically investigate the structure-property-performance relationships of asymmetric NFSMAs that have recently emerged and try to clarify the feasibility and practicality of an asymmetric strategy for the design of higher-performance NFSMAs. Finally, we put forward our views and a concise outlook on the asymmetric strategy.

Automated summary

In recent years, significant progress has been made in organic solar cells using asymmetric strategies to construct non-fullerene small molecule acceptors, achieving power conversion efficiencies of over 18%. Asymmetric acceptors not only impact molecular packing through changes in conformation but also achieve a balance between solubility and crystallinity.