Efficient organic solar cells (OSCs) traditionally rely on bulk heterojunction structures due to the limited exciton diffusion lengths (L D ). The evolution of materials with extended L D , such as the appearance of nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs), enables sequential layer‐by‐layer (LbL) processing of electron donor (D) and acceptor (A) a promising strategy for better control over the morphologies of active layers with configuration of D/A in OSCs. However, its application in an inverted structure, that is A/D, remains underexplored, primarily due to the inadequate solvent resistance of small‐molecule NFAs, which are prone to dissolved during the solution deposition of the D layer. In this work, we report a fully orthogonal, green‐solvent‐based LbL strategy for fabricating inverted OSCs using small‐molecule NFAs. By pairing a water/ethanol‐soluble thiophene‐ alt ‐quinoxaline‐based donor polymer, P(Qx8O‐T), with an o ‐xylene‐processed acceptor, L8‐BO, we successfully suppressed interlayer dissolution, allowing intact deposition of the donor layer without damaging the underlying acceptor film. Furthermore, this strategy effectively maintains the intrinsic crystallization of the donor and NFA layers, resulting in high‐quality active layers with well‐defined vertical phase separation. Consequently, the green‐solvent‐processed inverted LbL devices achieve a power conversion efficiency of 5.88%, demonstrating the feasibility of OSCs as a green PV technology.
The upcoming generation of photovoltaic (PV) technologies that will support the required energy shift is expected to include the technology of dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), as DSSCs have been recognized as one of the most promising alternatives to silicon‐based devices, ensuring good PV efficiency while exploiting sustainable and low‐cost materials. DSSCs are photoelectrochemical cells that represent the first example of a hybrid organic–inorganic photovoltaicsystem and, as such, initiated the important research sector of BIPV (building‐integrated photovoltaics). Recently, DSSCs have also been proposed as an innovative solution in agrivoltaics and archaeophotovoltaics, since the versatility in the chemistry of DSSC components can impart wavelength selectivity in the photoconversion process, a feature that is almost unique in the PV landscape. DSSCs have also demonstrated the capability to efficiently harvest luminous energy under indoor‐light conditions, a characteristic that renders them highly attractive for IoT (Internet of Things) applications and, in the context of agrivoltaics, for operation inside greenhouses. Under diffuse light—typical of indoor illumination with artificial light sources—DSSCs exhibit superior photoconversion performance compared to traditional semiconductor‐based PV technologies. This advantageous aspect of DSSCs is due primarily to the mesoporous structure of the photosensitive electrode, which enables omnidirectional light harvesting. The present review focuses on the recent evolution of DSSCs, particularly developments in the design, formulation, and preparation of new redox couples, new types of electrolytes, and organic dye‐sensitizers. Finally, this contribution also highlights how the nature of the electrode material affects interfacial charge‐transfer properties and how electrode surface engineering is crucial in determining both the efficiency and temporal stability of the resulting DSSC. From a production standpoint, recent research has largely focused on identifying scalable manufacturing methods for obtaining DSSCs with high or wavelength‐selective transparency for applications in BIPV, agrivoltaics, archaeophotovoltaics, and smart fenestration.
Tandem photovoltaic (PV) modules represent a promising pathway toward next‐generation high‐efficiency PV systems, with four‐terminal (4T) architectures offering enhanced design flexibility and a practical route toward commercialization. However, the system‐level integration of 4T tandem modules and their performance under partial shading (PS) remain insufficiently understood. This work presents a system‐level evaluation of 4T tandem PV systems under a range of rooftop shading conditions, comparing conventional bypass‐diode (BPD) protection with module‐level power electronics (MLPE) architectures in terms of mismatch mitigation, annual energy yield, and economic viability. Physics‐based simulations using the PVMD Toolbox, combined with real weather data, are employed to evaluate multiple MLPE architectures, including module‐ and submodule‐level granularity as well as full‐power‐processing (FPP) and differential‐power‐processing (DPP) architectures. The analysis considers annual energy yield together with levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) and net present value (NPV). Results show that under no‐shading and low‐shading conditions, the additional conversion losses and costs associated with MLPE outweigh their benefits. In contrast, under moderate and high shading conditions, MLPE, particularly at the submodule level, effectively mitigates mismatch losses, increasing annual energy yield by up to 20% relative to conventional BPD architecture while achieving the lowest LCOE and highest NPV. These results provide quantitative design guidelines for selecting MLPE granularity and power‐processing strategies for practical 4T tandem PV systems and identify the operating conditions under which active power electronics become beneficial.
Photocatalysis, a highly attractive technology, can harness abundant and clean solar energy to produce chemical fuels and degrade hazardous pollutants into harmless molecules, offering a promising pathway to tackle both energy crises and environmental pollution. Owing to their distinctive π‐conjugated structure, nitrogen‐rich triazine motifs, high specific surface area, and good chemical and thermal stability, covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) have emerged as an important class of porous organic semiconductors with widespread photocatalytic applications. This review summarizes recent advances in utilizing CTFs and CTF‐based materials for solar‐driven photocatalysis. First, the essential advantages of CTFs for photocatalysis are concisely outlined. Subsequently, the latest research progress on the different modifications of CTFs are discussed, such as crystallinity enhancement, morphology and structural design, heterojunction engineering, construction of donor–acceptor systems, and single‐atom catalyst loading. Besides, various significant applications of CTF‐based photocatalysts are detailedly illustrated through specific examples, involving photocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction, water splitting, hydrogen peroxide production, organic transformations, and pollutant removal. Based on the state‐of‐the‐art advances in this topic, the current challenges and future perspectives for CTFs are pointed out, aiming to guide the rational design of CTF‐based photocatalysts for efficient solar energy conversion and environmental remediation.
Magnetic field‐assisted regulation offers a noncontact route to tune film formation, interfacial processes, carrier transport, and recombination in photovoltaic devices. However, reported magnetic field effects remain highly system‐dependent and are difficult to compare across material platforms because of differences in field strength, field configuration, processing stage, and device architecture. This Review examines the mechanisms and device applications of magnetic field‐assisted regulation across representative photovoltaic systems, focusing on microstructural regulation, interfacial and charge‐transport modulation, and recombination or spin‐related processes. Across organic, perovskite, dye‐sensitized, quantum‐dot‐sensitized, and silicon solar cells, the Review links these mechanisms to device‐level strategies, including spin‐sensitive loss regulation in OSCs, crystallization and interface engineering in PSCs, photoanode and interfacial modulation in sensitized systems, and the evaluation of magnetic‐field effects in silicon photovoltaics. Finally, the Review identifies key challenges and future directions for improving mechanistic understanding, reproducibility, and practical scalability.
