Abstract:
Small molecular photovoltaic materials, owing to their distinct chemical structures, easier purification and well-reproducible synthesis, have attracted considerable attention in recent years. Furthermore, the structureproperty relationships of these materials are better understandable in comparison with polymeric materials, indicating a better tenability of their properties. In terms of processability, vacuum deposition as well as solution process can be used for small molecular materials in device preparation. Nowadays a large number of small molecular electron-donating materials have been synthesized and applied widely in organic photovoltaics. Remarkable power convert efficiency (PCE) of 6.7% has been achieved for single-junction devices based on small molecules. In this paper, the application of different type small molecular electron donors is reviewed and the future development of these materials is discussed.