Singlet Fission: Progress and Prospects in Solar Cells.

The third generation of photovoltaic technology aims to reduce the fabrication cost and improve the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of solar cells. Singlet fission (SF), an efficient multiple exciton generation (MEG) process in organic semiconductors, is one promising way to surpass the Shockley-Queisser limit of conventional single-junction solar cells. Traditionally, this MEG process has been observed as an intermolecular process in organic materials. The implementation of intermolecular SF in photovoltaic devices has achieved an external quantum efficiency of over 100% and demonstrated significant promise for boosting the PCE of third generation solar cells. More recently, efficient intramolecular SF has been reported. Intramolecular SF materials are modular and have the potential to overcome certain design constraints that intermolecular SF materials possess, which may allow for more facile integration into devices.