Solution-processed new porphyrin-based small molecules as electron donors for highly efficient organic photovoltaics.

A series of unsymmetrical π-conjugated small molecules have been constructed from meso-alkyl substituted porphyrins as the central unit and 3-ethylrhodanine as the terminal group. Using PC71BM as an acceptor, and these small molecules as electron donors in solution-processed bulk-heterojunction solar cells, a high power conversion efficiency of 6.49% has been achieved.