Organic solar cells were fabricated with two new imidazolin-5-one molecules as active layers. The use of imidazolin-5-ones, derivatives of a biomolecule chrornophore, for photovoltaic applications is particularly attractive due to its biodegradable nature and tunable properties. Single-layer devices with two analogues of imidazolin-5-ones were prepared and characterized. Devices fabricated with one of the molecules as the active layer showed a maximum J(sc) of 0.52 mu A cm(-2) and V., of 0.68 V at an incident power of 20.32 mW cm(-2), while the other set of devices showed a maximum J(se) of 0.63 mu A cm(-2) and V-oc of 0.57 V at the same incident power. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.