Elucidating the optimal materials combination of organic photovoltaics for maximum industrial viability

The combination of donor (D) and acceptor (A) materials in organic solar cells (OSC) determines the corresponding D:A morphology in solar cells and the so-called golden triangle of OSC, that is, cost, power conversion efficiency (PCE), and stability. However, despite the recent advancement in OSC, determining the optimal material combination for industrialization is still a challenge. Herein, we unveil the optimal material combination that exhibits maximum industrial viability. Specifically, the industrial figure of merit (i-FoM) of 7 OSC categories is calculated and further analyzed, including small molecule donor (SMD):fullerene acceptor, SMD:non-fullerene acceptor (NFA), oligomer donor:NFA, terpolymer:NFA, polymer donor:NFA, polymer donor:polymer acceptor, and single-component materials. Since OSC is approaching wide-scale industrialization, our insights into the successes and challenges of these material combinations, particularly their PCE, photostability, and synthetic complexity (SC) index, offer guidance toward accelerating the industrialization of OSC.