Direct (Hetero)arylation: A Tool for Low-Cost and Eco-Friendly Organic Photovoltaics

Organic photovoltaics have attracted much attention in the past few years, mainly due to their ability to be fully printed at low cost and large scale. However, the organic semiconductors utilized as the active layer are typically synthesized using Migita-Stille or Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling, which is not cost efficient and may bring toxicity concerns. In the search for atom-economical synthesis, direct (hetero)arylation polymerization (DHAP) enables the activation of aromatic C-H bonds, both reducing synthetic steps of monomers and toxic reaction byproducts. In this issue, we will discuss the recent contributions on direct (hetero)arylation synthesis toward mass production of photovoltaic materials. The impact of DHAP on material efficiency will be addressed and compared to conventional coupling methods. The ongoing improvements will be discussed, as DHAP becomes more sustainable at higher scale and materials are observed as having higher quality.

Automated summary

Organic photovoltaics have garnered attention for their cost-effective and scalable printing capabilities, but traditional synthesis methods may pose cost and toxicity concerns. The application of direct (hetero)arylation polymerization technology can reduce synthetic steps and toxic reaction byproducts in organic photovoltaic materials, enhancing material efficiency and quality. Ongoing improvements in direct (hetero)arylation synthesis are making the process more sustainable at larger scales.