Dual-component interfacial design enables 21% efficient organic solar cells

Interface design has emerged as a crucial frontier for advancing the performance of organic solar cells (OSCs).In a recent study published in Nature Materials, Li and co-workers report an interfacial strategy that enables a remarkable efficiency of 21% (certified as 20.8%).[1].This achievement is realized through the development of a hybrid cathode interfacial layer (CIL) combining two-dimensional amorphous ZnO (2D A-ZnO) with the conjugated polymer PNDIT-F3N, leading to substantial improvements in interfacial quality, charge transport, and device stability.Organic solar cells (OSCs), owing to their intrinsic advantages-lightweight, flexibility, and solution processability-have long been regarded as promising candidates for next-generation photovoltaic technologies [2].Over the past decade, rapid advances in molecular design, particularly the development of non-fullerene acceptors, have led to a surge in device performance, with power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) now exceeding 20% in laboratory-scale devices [3].These J u s t A c c e p t e d Highlight Carbon Future 9200058 (1-x) Carbon Future 2025, 2, 9200058