Single material organic solar cells (SMOSCs) are based on ambivalent materials containing electron donor (D) and acceptor (A) units capable to ensure the basic functions of light absorption, exciton dissociation, and charge transport. Compared to bicomponent bulk heterojunctions, SMOSCs present several major advantages such as considerable simplification of cell fabrication and a strong stabilization of the morphology of the D/A interface, and thus of the cell lifetime. In addition to these technical issues, SMOSCs pose fundamental questions regarding the possible formation, and dissociation of excitons on the same molecular D–A architecture. SMOSCs are developed with various approaches, namely “double‐cable” polymers, block copolymers, oligomers, and molecules that differ by the donor platform: polymer or molecule, the nature of A, the D–A connection, and the intra‐ and intermolecular interactions of D and A. Although for several years the maximum efficiency of SMOSCs has remained limited to 1.0–1.5%, impressive progress has been recently accomplished leading to SMOSCs with 4.0–5.0% efficiency. Here, recent advances in the synthesis of D–A materials for SMOSCs are presented in the broader context of the chemistry of organic photovoltaic materials in order to discuss possible directions for future research.

Orthopalladated complexes derived from (Z)-2-aryl-4-arylidene-5(4H)-oxazolones have been prepared by reaction of the oxazolone with palladium acetate in acidic medium. The reaction is regioselective, only the ortho C-H bond of the arylidene ring being activated, producing a six-membered ring. The scope and reaction conditions of the orthopalladation are dependent on the acidity of the solvent. In CF(3)CO(2)H a large number of oxazolones can be metalated under mild conditions. As acidity decreases a lesser number of oxazolones can be efficiently palladated and harsher conditions must be used to achieve similar yields. The C-H bond activation in acidic medium agrees with an ambiphilic mechanism, as determined from kinetic measurements at variable temperature and pressure for different oxazolones substituted at the arylidene ring. The mechanism has been confirmed by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, where the formation of the six-membered ring is shown to be favored from both a kinetic and a thermodynamic perspective. In addition, the dependence of the reaction rate on the acidity of the medium has also been accounted for via a fine-tuning between the C-H agostic precoordination and the proton abstraction reaction in the overall process occurring on coordinatively saturated [Pd(κ(N)-oxazolone)(RCO(2)H)(3)](2+).

Macrocyclic systems derived from crown-annelated terthiophene involving a median EDOT unit have been synthesized by coupling diiodooligooxyethylene chains and bis(2-cyanoethylsulfanyl)terthiophene under high dilution conditions. The metal cation complexing properties of the compounds have been analyzed using 1H NMR, UV-vis spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. These various experiments provide consistent results showing that one of the compounds exhibits interesting complexing properties for Pb2+.

A [2 + 2] photocycloaddition has been observed in regioselectively orthopalladated 2-aryl-4-arylidene-5(4H)-oxazolones, leading to unprecedented cyclobutane-bis(oxazolones).

A bimodal (micro/mesoporous) COF was synthesized by coupling tetrakis-1,3,5,7-(4′-iodophenyl)adamantane with 4,4′-diethynylbiphenyl following a Sonogashira protocol.

Three-dimensional conjugated architectures involving conjugated branches with terminal EDOT groups attached onto a bithiophene core twisted by ca. 90 by steric interactions have been synthesized by Stille coupling reactions. The UV-Vis absorption spectra recorded in solution show complex spectral features that depend on both the size and chemical structure of the main conjugated segment and of the conjugated side chains. Thanks to the fixation of the terminal EDOT groups, these compounds undergo straightforward and complete electropolymerization to produce stable electrode materials. The analysis of the electrochemical and optical properties of the polymers by cyclic voltammetry and spectroelectrochemistry suggests that the electrochemical coupling of the terminal EDOT groups leads to the formation of p-conjugated networks the electrochemical and optical properties of which can be tuned through the length and chemical composition of the oligomeric conjugated links.

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