Tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (Alq(3)) is a frequently used material for organic light emitting diodes. The electronic properties and solubility can be tuned by chemical tailoring of the quinoline part, which makes it an interesting candidate for organic solar cells. Steady-state absorption and fluorescence, as well as time-resolved fluorescence properties of the parent Alq3 and a series of complexes consisting of derivatives, such as 4-substituted pyrazol, methylpyrazol, arylvinyl, and pyridinoanthrene moieties, of the quinoline ligand, were studied in solutions and in thin films. Suitability of the complexes as anodic buffer layers or dopants in inverted organic solar cells based on the well known bulk heterojunction of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and phenyl-C-61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) was tested. The devices equipped with the derivatives showed higher power conversion efficiency (eta) compared to the photocells containing the parent Alq(3). Open circuit voltage (V-OC) was increased when the derivatives were utilized as the anodic buffer layer. Doping of the P3HT:PCBM with a small amount of Alq(3) or its derivative improved short circuit current density, V-OC, fill factor, and eta, while the series resistance decreased. In addition, the devices were stable in air over several weeks without encapsulation. Possible mechanisms leading to the improvements in the photovoltaic performance by using the parent Alq(3) or its derivative as buffer layer or dopant are discussed. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.