Recent advances in the design of porphyrin-based architectures for organic solar cells: enhancing efficiency and performance

Abstract

Porphyrins are π-conjugated materials with exceptional optical and electronic properties that have garnered considerable interest in the field of organic photovoltaics. Their well-established synthetic accessibility enables the construction of diverse molecular geometries through relatively few synthetic steps. This review highlights recent progress over the past decade in the rational design of porphyrin-based donor–acceptor architectures for third-generation organic photovoltaic devices. Emphasis is placed on the roles of molecular symmetry, π-extension, and donor–acceptor energy level alignment. Key structural features, including metal centers, side chains, and π-bridges, are examined in relation to their impact on device efficiency and operational stability. The influence of structural modifications on HOMO–LUMO energy levels, active layer morphology, and overall photovoltaic performance is critically assessed.