Issue 14, 2024

Quinoxaline-based nonfullerene acceptors with powerful core-functionalization ability enabling efficient solar energy utilization

Abstract

Solar energy utilization is a promising renewable technology for achieving efficient energy conversion. Nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs) have triggered wide interest in solar energy exploitation due to their multiple merits such as exceptional structural tunability and controllable optoelectronic properties. Quinoxaline-based acceptors have recently been applied in both photovoltaic and photocatalytic fields. In contrast to benzotriazole and benzothiadiazole units, the quinoxaline moiety enables powerful core-functionalization in NFAs, offering high structural modification possibilities. Additionally, it facilitates the construction of highly efficient NFAs with distinctive molecular packing modes and low reorganization energy. In this perspective, we systematically summarize the recent progress in the quinoxaline-based NFAs, including side-chain substitution, conjugation expansion, and construction of oligomeric and polymer acceptors. The altered cores of NFAs present superior modulation capabilities in terms of photoelectric properties, molecular packing, and blend morphology, resulting in reduced energy loss, enhanced VOC, and improved efficiency in organic solar cells. These features provide novel opportunities for the advancement of solar energy utilization. Finally, the future directions are proposed from the perspectives of molecular design, material systems, cost reduction, stability, and practical applications. There is still significant development potential for advanced properties and applications enabled by quinoxaline-based acceptors. We anticipate that this perspective will pave the way and stimulate efforts to develop new quinoxaline-based acceptor materials for future applications.

Graphical abstract: Quinoxaline-based nonfullerene acceptors with powerful core-functionalization ability enabling efficient solar energy utilization

Article information

Article type
Perspective
Submitted
02 Apr 2024
Accepted
30 May 2024
First published
04 Jun 2024

Energy Environ. Sci., 2024,17, 4944-4967

Quinoxaline-based nonfullerene acceptors with powerful core-functionalization ability enabling efficient solar energy utilization

K. Liu, Y. Jiang, F. Liu and X. Zhu, Energy Environ. Sci., 2024, 17, 4944 DOI: 10.1039/D4EE01474J

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements