When Electronically Inert Polymers Meet Conjugated Polymers: Emerging Opportunities in Organic Photovoltaics

Insulating polymers (commodity plastics in particular) are a major category of polymeric materials widely used in our daily life, but they exhibit abysmal electrical conductivity. Instead, conjugated polymers are gaining tremendous interest due to their excellent electrical properties and versatile applications in organic electronics. In this perspective, we provide a concise account of the added value in organic solar cells, as brought by the combined use of conjugated and insulating polymers. The challenging tasks and prospective directions are given to the potential benefits of employing insulating polymer additives, which spans from common commodity plastics to high-temperature resistant resins and thermoplastic elastomers. Particularly, the inert polymers can improve many important properties such as mechanical and thermal robustness but not sacrifice optoelectronic performance. © 2022, Chinese Chemical Society Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences.