The Buchner ring expansion method has been used to synthesize starting materials for applications in material science involving photovoltaic cells. The development of a donor-acceptor (D-A) interface composed of conducting polymer donors and buckminsterfullerene derivative acceptors create a phase-separated composite that enhances photoconductivity (available with only polymer donors) in the photoinduced charge transfer process of photovoltaic cells. The fullerene compounds can be functionalized for miscibility of C60 to increase efficiency of the solar cell depending upon the polymeric thin film synthesized.
