Research progress and application of high efficiency organic solar cells based on benzodithiophene donor materials

In recent decades, the demand for clean and renewable energy has grown increasingly urgent due to the irreversible alteration of the global climate. As a result, efficient organic solar cells (OSCs) have gradually gained attention as a study hotspot. To break up this dilemma, this paper reviews the molecular design strategies of benzodithiophen (BDT)-based polymer and small molecule donor materials since their birth, focusing on the development of main-chain engineering, side-chain engineering and other unique molecular design paths. Up to now, the state-of-the-art power conversion efficiency ( PCE ) of binary OSCs prepared by BDT-based donor materials has approached 20%. Our work detailly discusses the potential relationship between the molecular changes of donor materials and photoelectric performance in corresponding OSC devices, thereby presenting a rational molecular design guidance for stable and efficient donor materials in future.