Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons as Potential Building Blocks for Organic Solar Cells

Abstract

Since the discovery of graphene in the early 2000's, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been resurrected and new synthetic tools have been developed to prepare unprecedented structures with unique properties. One application that has been overlooked for this class of molecules is organic solar cells (OSCs). In this account, we present the recent development in the preparation of moderate to low band gap PAHs that could potentially be used as semiconducting materials in OSCs. Our focus is directed toward all-carbon PAHs as well as their polymeric analogs.

Keywords: Anthanthrene; Carbon-rich molecules; Organic semiconductors; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Solar cells.