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<p>Driven by the global energy transition and the demand for flexible photovoltaics, organic solar cells (OSCs) have attracted extensive attention owing to their low weight, mechanical flexibility, and compatibility with low-temperature solution processing. However, limited charge transport and poor environmental stability still hinder large-scale deployment. Discotic liquid crystals (DLCs), featuring <i>π</i>–<i>π</i> stacking and columnar self-assembly from conjugated aromatic cores, offer a materials-level strategy to alleviate charge transport bottlenecks, stabilize thin-film morphology, and improve the tolerance of thick-film and printed devices. This review summarizes the mechanisms and performance progress of DLCs in small-molecule, polymer, and ternary OSCs, and, where available, in tandem architectures, following a causal chain that links self-assembly, morphology regulation and key device parameters (PCE, V<sub>OC</sub>, J<sub>SC</sub>, FF). We discuss the cooperative roles of DLCs in energy level alignment, interfacial/interlayer construction, and three-dimensional charge transport networks, and evaluate their contributions to thick-film tolerance, thermomechanical robustness, and manufacturability. We further identify key obstacles to industrialization, including quantitative assessment of large-area uniformity and long-term lifetime, chemical, and energetic compatibility with inorganic interlayers and alignment of material cost with process compatibility. Adopting an explicit engineering perspective, the review traces a causal chain from molecular self-assembly to thin-film morphology and ultimately to electrical output. It conceptually links thick-film and printed processing with the requirements of tandem interconnecting layer (ICL) engineering within a unified framework, outlining how DLC-induced columnar order and anisotropic transport can translate into device-level gains in V<sub>OC</sub>, J<sub>SC</sub>, FF, and stability. It also proposes signposted evaluation metrics and materials–process guidelines that can inform future work on printing and tandem integration, enabling readers to follow the same chain across small-molecule, polymer, ternary, and emerging tandem OSCs.</p>

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Application of discotic liquid crystals in organic solar cells

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年12月3日

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  • Aochi Niu,
  • Ao Zhang,
  • Gaojun Jia,
  • Xuan Liu,
  • Mingsi Xie,
  • Xiaoli Song,
  • Ruijuan Liao,
  • Yi Fang,
  • Chunxiu Zhang

摘要

Driven by the global energy transition and the demand for flexible photovoltaics, organic solar cells (OSCs) have attracted extensive attention owing to their low weight, mechanical flexibility, and compatibility with low-temperature solution processing. However, limited charge transport and poor environmental stability still hinder large-scale deployment. Discotic liquid crystals (DLCs), featuring π–π stacking and columnar self-assembly from conjugated aromatic cores, offer a materials-level strategy to alleviate charge transport bottlenecks, stabilize thin-film morphology, and improve the tolerance of thick-film and printed devices. This review summarizes the mechanisms and performance progress of DLCs in small-molecule, polymer, and ternary OSCs, and, where available, in tandem architectures, following a causal chain that links self-assembly, morphology regulation and key device parameters (PCE, VOC, JSC, FF). We discuss the cooperative roles of DLCs in energy level alignment, interfacial/interlayer construction, and three-dimensional charge transport networks, and evaluate their contributions to thick-film tolerance, thermomechanical robustness, and manufacturability. We further identify key obstacles to industrialization, including quantitative assessment of large-area uniformity and long-term lifetime, chemical, and energetic compatibility with inorganic interlayers and alignment of material cost with process compatibility. Adopting an explicit engineering perspective, the review traces a causal chain from molecular self-assembly to thin-film morphology and ultimately to electrical output. It conceptually links thick-film and printed processing with the requirements of tandem interconnecting layer (ICL) engineering within a unified framework, outlining how DLC-induced columnar order and anisotropic transport can translate into device-level gains in VOC, JSC, FF, and stability. It also proposes signposted evaluation metrics and materials–process guidelines that can inform future work on printing and tandem integration, enabling readers to follow the same chain across small-molecule, polymer, ternary, and emerging tandem OSCs.