Conjugated polymer-based organic solar cells

Inorganic semiconductor solar cells are well developed and are being deployed worldwide. However, the high cost of their manufacture limits their widespread acceptance as a source of renewable energy. The potential for low-cost manufacturing afforded by organic devices gives organic solar cells the potential to significantly impact the energy landscape, making them useful in a wide range of environments. This review discusses the advances made in developing organic cells. It covers the device structural approaches that have been used to prepare these devices as well as the design of materials for simultaneously achieving high solar absorptivity and optimal device structure for harvesting this electrical energy. Emphasis is on polymeric and composite polymeric/molecular materials.