Review of Waterborne Organic Semiconductor Colloids for Photovoltaics

Development of carbon neutral and sustainable energy sources should be considered as a top priority solution for the growing worldwide demand. Photovoltaics are strong candidate, more specifically, organic photovoltaics (OPV), enabling design flexible, lightweight, semitransparent, low-cost solar cells. However, active layer OPV is, now, mainly deposited from chlorinated solvents, harmful environment human health. Active layers processed health environmentally friendly solvents have over recent years formed key focus topic research, with creation aqueous dispersions conjugated polymer nanoparticles arising. These semiconductors (molecules macromolecules) initially designed solvents. The nanoparticle has gradually garnered attention, up to point where in 2018 it was identified “trendsetting strategy” by leaders international research community. Hence, this review been prepared provide timely roadmap formation application components OPV. We thorough synopsis developments both nanoprecipitation miniemulsion preparing photovoltaic inks, facilitating readers acquiring deep understanding crucial synthesis parameters affecting particle size, colloidal concentration, ink stability, more. This also showcases experimental levers identifying optimizing internal donor–acceptor morphology nanoparticles, featuring cutting-edge X-ray spectromicroscopy measurements reported past decade. different strategies improve incorporation these inks into devices increase their efficiency (to current record 7.5%) reported, addition critical choices surfactant type advantages single-component vs binary populations. naturally culminates presenting upscaling practice safer production