Poor exciton dissociation limits photocurrents in organic solar cells with small energy offset – which is why low offset blends can’t be efficient
Dieter Neher a
a Soft Matter Physics and Optoelectronics, Institute of Physics and Astronomy, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24–25, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
Proceedings of MATSUS Spring 2026 Conference (MATSUSSpring26)
B2 Strategies to push the efficiency and stability limits of organic photovoltaics at a multiscale
Barcelona, Spain, 2026 March 23rd - 27th
Organizers: Ignasi Burgués and Maria Saladina
Oral, Dieter Neher, presentation 029
Publication date: 15th December 2025

Understanding the relation between photocurrent losses, voltage losses, and the energetics of the active layer is at the heart of current research on organic solar cells (OCS). In particular, achieving a high VOC  requires that energy losses during the exciton-to-free charge conversion is minimized. In fact, it is claimed that state-of-the-art non-fullerene acceptor-based devices efficiently generate photocurrent for a negligible HOMO offset, unlike fullerene-based devices, and that this is one of the reasons for the success of NFA-based solar cells.

Here, we present experimental and theoretical evidence that low-offset DA blends are fundamentally limited by inefficient exciton dissociation. Under realistic conditions, this translates into a minimum HOMO offset of ca. 300 meV, meaning that low offset blends cannot be efficient. We will also address the question of whether (and under what conditions) CT dissociation becomes inefficient. Finally, we will discuss the conditions under which the energy offset can be further reduced without compromising photocurrents.

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