Peeping into the Conversion Efficiency of Organic Photovoltaic Cells: Donor-Acceptor materials, Current Trends, Scope, and Relevance

Organic photovoltaic cells (OPVCs) are one of the most important emerging solar technologies for producing electricity at a low cost. Due to advancements in materials science and device optimization, OPVCs have attracted wide attention of the scientific community regarding their conversion efficiency and performance. The historical preview of photovoltaic (PV) technology development and a comparative account of all four generations of PV with the types and working of organic photovoltaic cells have been delineated in this review. In addition, the role and importance of organic semiconducting materials, including fullerene and non-fullerene derivatives with polymeric matrices (electron acceptors and donors) as the premise components of organic photovoltaic cells, have been reviewed. Moreover, the operation of OPVCs, including efficiency and electrical characteristics of cells, are covered under various sections of this review. Recent progress using different assembly materials with increased conversion efficiency has been recapitulated with graphical state-of-the-art. The issues and challenges of OPVCs, like reduced durability, lower efficiency, and technological constraints, are also highlighted for competitive and sustainable options for renewable energy generation. It is recommended that future research should focus on resolving the issues identified and creating novel components and technological advancements that can raise the effectiveness and performance of OPVCs even further.