A high molar extinction coefficient charge transfer sensitizer and its application in dye-sensitized solar cell

A high molar extinction coefficient charge transfer sensitizer tetrabutylammonium [Ru(4,-carboxylic acid-4′-carboxylate-2,2′-bipyridine)(4,4′-di-(2-(3,6-dimethoxyphenyl)ethenyl)-2,2′-bipyridine)(NCS)₂], is developed which upon anchoring onto nanocrystalline TiO₂ films exhibit superior power conversion efficiency compared to the standard sensitizer bistetrabutylammonium cis-dithiocyanatobis(4,4′-dicarboxylic acid-2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) (N719). The new sensitizer anchored TiO₂ films harvest visible light very efficiently over a large spectral range and produce a short-circuit photocurrent density of 18.84 mA/cm², open-circuit voltage 783 mV and fill factor 0.73, resulting remarkable solar-to-electric energy conversion efficiency (η) 10.82, under Air Mass (AM) 1.5 sunlight. The Time Dependent Density Functional Theory (TDDFT) excited state calculations of the new sensitizer show that the first three HOMOs have ruthenium t_2g character with sizable contribution coming from the NCS ligands and the π-bonding orbitals of the 4,4′-di-(2-(3,6-dimethoxyphenyl)ethenyl)-2,2′-bipyridine. The LUMO is a π^* orbital localized on the 4,4′-dicarboxylic acid-2,2′-bipyridine ligand.     

Effects of tethering alkyl chains for amphiphilic ruthenium complex dyes on their adsorption to titanium oxide and photovoltaic properties

Ruthenium (II) complex dye, Ru(4,4'-dicarboxyl-2,2'-bipyridine)(4-nonyl-2,2'-bipyridine) (NCS)(2), (denoted as RuC9) tethering single alkyl chain was synthesized and well characterized. Its adsorption behavior onto the mesoporous TiO(2) and photovoltaic properties were compared with Z907 which has similar chemical structure but tethers two alkyl chains. RuC9 dyes tend to aggregate into vesicles in the acetonitrile/t-butanol co-solvent as a result of the amphiphilic structure, whereas Z907 dyes aggregate into lamellae. The dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) with RuC9 dye showed higher short-circuit photocurrent than that with Z907, attributing to its higher molar optical extinction coefficient and more adsorption amount onto the mesoporous TiO(2). However, the DSSC with Z907 dye has higher open-circuit photovoltage and power conversion efficiency, presumably due to the fact that Z907 with more alkyl chains formed a molecular layer with higher hydrophobicity. It reduced the charge recombination in the interface between the dye-sensitized mesoporous TiO(2) and electrolyte as verified by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and intensity modulated photocurrent and photovoltage spectroscopies.     

A novel HMP-2 dye of high extinction coefficient designed for enhancing the performance of ZnO platelets

Newly designed cis-[Ru(H₂dcbpy) (L) (NCS)₂ (HMP-2), where L is 4-(4-(N,N-di-(p-hexyloxyphenyl)-amino)styryl)-4′-methyl-2,2′-bipyridine, sensitizing dye of high extinction coefficient than the routinely preferred ruthenium (II) cis-di(thiocyanato)bis(2,2′-bipyridyl-4,4′-dicarboxylic acid) (N3) sensitizing dye is explored. Electrochemically synthesized ZnO (plates of 4–5 μm in height and 100–150 nm in width) electrodes are dipped intentionally in N3 and HMP-2 dyes for 20 h so as to observe large surface agglomeration effect for ZnO/N3 system. Due to the local inhomogeneity resulting from the Zn²⁺/dye complex layer formed between ZnO platelets and N3 dye, its solar-to-electrical conversion efficiency is inferior than aggregation-free ZnO/HMP-2.     

Photovoltaic performance of dye-sensitized solar cells assembled by in-situ chemical cross-linking

Quasi-solid state dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were assembled by in-situ chemical cross-linking of a gel electrolyte precursor containing liquid electrolyte. The DSSCs assembled with this cross-linked gel polymer electrolyte showed higher open circuit voltage and lower short-circuit photocurrent density than those of DSSCs with liquid electrolyte. Addition of SiO₂ nanoparticles into the cross-linked gel polymer electrolyte significantly improved the photovoltaic performance and long-term stability of the DSSCs. The optimized quasi-solid state DSSC showed high conversion efficiency, 6.2% at 100 mW cm^?2 with good durability.     

Electrochemical properties of liquid electrolyte added quasi-solid state TiO2 dye-sensitized solar cells

In this study a process has been introduced to replace traditional liquid or solid electrolyte coatings on dye-sensitized photoelectrode in solar cells. This process has more efficient diffusion of electrolyte, hence higher sensitivity. Better interfacial contact between polymer electrolyte and TiO₂ photoelectrode had improved electrochemical response and ionic conductivity of cell. Conductivity of this electrode was 9.33 × 10⁻³ S cm⁻¹ (at room temperature), which is much higher than the using traditional process for addition of electrolytes. It has 0.68 V open-circuit voltage and 3.19 mA cm⁻² short-circuit current density. Energy conversion efficiency of this cell was about 37% higher than the cell developed with traditional processes under constant light intensity (45 mW cm⁻²).     

Molecular wiring of LiMnPO4 (olivine) by ruthenium(II)-bipyridine complexes

LiMnPO₄ (olivine) was surface-modified by two different complexes: Ru-bis(4,4′-diethoxycarbonyl-2,2′-bipyridine)(4,4′-dicarboxylate-2,2′-bipyridine) and Ru-bis(4-carboxylic acid-4′-carboxylate-2,2′-bipyridine)(4,4′-dinonyl-2,2′bipyridine). These complexes have redox potentials of 4.45 and 4.25 V vs. Li/Li⁺, respectively, and are both active for molecular wiring of LiMnPO₄. The surface-confined Ru(II)/Ru(III) redox reaction propagates across the monolayer via hole-hopping, allowing a subsequent chemical delithiation of the underneath olivine towards MnPO₄. The activity of LiMnPO₄ is about half of that of LiFePO₄ (olivine) at similar experimental conditions.     

Synthesis,structure and characterization of new 1D and 2D Ni(II) coordination polymers

Two new Ni(II) coordination polymers, namely [Ni₃(Hsdac)₂(sdac)₂(2,2′-bipy)₂] (1) and [Ni₂(sdac)₂(4,4′-bipy)₂]·2H₂O (2) (sdba = 4,4′-sulfonyldibenzoate, 2,2′-bipy = 2,2′-bipyridine, 4,4′-bipy = 4,4′-bipyridine), have been prepared under hydrothermal conditions and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Compound 1 possesses an interesting chain structure. Adjacent chains are further linked through H-bond interactions between Hsdac ligands to give a two-dimensional (2D) supramolecular architecture. Compound 2 displays an unusual 2D polyrotaxane-like network.     

A novel deep eutectic solvent-based ionic liquid used as electrolyte for dye-sensitized solar cells

We utilize a quaternary ammonium salt-derivative ionic liquid called G.CI which is a eutectic mixture of glycerol and choline iodide as electrolyte for dye-sensitized solar cells. Such eutectic compound belongs to a new series of ionic liquid called deep eutectic solvents (DES), which possess many outstanding features compared to the traditional imidazolium-based ionic liquids including cheap raw materials, simple preparation procedures and better biocompatibility. Current–voltage characteristics of the G.CI/PMII-based binary electrolytes stand at 0.533 V on V_oc, 12.0 mA cm^?2 on J_sc, 0.582 on fill factor, and 3.88% cell efficiency under AM 1.5, 100 mW/cm² illuminations. The comparable cell performance together with all the above advantages makes G.CI as a strong candidate for future electrolyte development for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs).     

Organic dyes with a novel anchoring group for dye-sensitized solar cell applications

Two novel trialkylsilyl-containing organic sensitizers (JK-53 and JK-54) have been designed and synthesized. Nanocrystalline TiO₂–silica-based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were fabricated using these dyes. Under standard global AM 1.5 solar conditions, the JK-53-sensitized cell gave a short-circuit photocurrent density (J_sc) of 6.37 mA cm^?2, an open-circuit voltage (V_oc) of 0.70 V, and a fill factor of 0.74. These values correspond to an overall conversion efficiency (η) of 3.31%. By comparison, the JK-54-sensitized cell resulted in a J_sc of 7.52 mA cm^?2, a V_oc of 0.71 V, and a fill factor of 0.75. These values give an overall conversion efficiency of 4.01%.     

含1,3,4-噁二唑的联吡啶钌(Ⅱ)配合物的合成及光电性质研究(英文)

合成了2个新的含1,3,4-噁二唑官能团的联吡啶配体及其相应的钌髤配合物Ru(CPOD)(dcbpy)(NCS)2(Ru-1)和Ru(DPOD)(dcbpy)(NCS)2(Ru-2)(CPOD=4-羧基-4′-[2-(4-壬氧基苯基)-5-苯基-1,3,4-噁二唑]-2,2′-二联吡啶,DPOD=4,4′-二[2-(4-壬氧基苯基)-5-苯基-1,3,4-噁二唑]-2,2′-二联吡啶,dcbpy=4,4′-二羧基-2,2′-二联吡啶),并通过红外光谱、循环伏安、紫外可见吸收光谱、元素分析和光电流-光电压曲线实验对其结构和光电转化性质进行了表征。这些配合物的最大MLCT态吸收位于555nm,摩尔消光系数可达1.43×104L·mol-1·cm-1。它们的光化学和电化学性质表明:激发态能级与TiO2导带底能级匹配,电子能够注入到TiO2导带中。将它们敏化到纳米晶TiO2电极上,光电转化效率为2.4%。     

Synthesis and photovoltaic properties of organic sensitizers containing electron-deficient and electron-rich fused thiophene for dye-sensitized solar cells

Diverse fused thiophenes with electron-rich and electron-deficient blocks have been synthesized and employed as the π-conjugated spacers of organic dyes for the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The effects of these fused thiophenes were investigated by their absorption spectra, electrochemical and photovoltaic properties. For a typical device a maximum power conversion efficiency of 6.11% was obtained under simulated AM 1.5 irradiation (100 mW cm^?2): a short-circuit current (J_SC) of 14.47 mA cm^?2, an open-circuit voltage (V_OC) of 670 mV, and a fill factor (FF) of 0.63.     

Synthesis of triphenylamine-based thiophene-(N-aryl)pyrrole-thiophene dyes for dye-sensitized solar cell applications

Two new triphenylamine-based metal-free organic dyes (TPTDYE-1 and TPTDYE-2) containing 1-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-2,5-di(2-thienyl)pyrrole as a new π-conjugated chromophore were synthesized for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) applications. TPTDYE-1 containing three donor groups around the acceptor group was found to show relatively narrow absorption band from 300 nm to 470 nm while TPTDYE-2 having extended π–π delocalization between the donor and acceptor group showed broad absorption band from 300 nm to 550 nm. The electrochemical studies indicate that the HOMO–LUMO energy gap of TPTDYE-1 is considerably wider than that of TPTDYE-2. The dye-sensitized solar cell performance of each dye was investigated, and the TPTDYE-2-sensitized cell was found to show a maximum monochromatic incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) of 75%, a short-circuit photocurrent density (J_sc) of 13.50 mA/cm², an open-circuit voltage (V_oc) of 0.72 V, and a fill factor (FF) of 0.69, corresponding to an overall conversion efficiency of 6.71% under simulated AM 1.5 irradiation (100 mW/cm²). Under the same condition the TPTDYE-1-sensitized cell showed the same IPCE value of 75% with a promising conversion efficiency of 6.00%, a J_sc of 11.11 mA/cm², a V_oc of 0.76 V, and a FF of 0.71.     

A new 1H-pyridin-(2E)-ylidene ruthenium complex as sensitizer for a dye-sensitized solar cell

The new heteroleptic ruthenium(II) complex containing a 1H-pyridin-(2E)-ylidene (PYE) ligand was synthesized and characterized using UV/Vis, FTIR, and NMR spectroscopies, mass spectrometry, elemental analysis, and cyclic voltammetry. The photovoltaic performance of the ruthenium complex as a charge transfer photosensitizer in nc-titanium dioxide based dye-sensitized solar cell was studied and compared with cis-bis(isothiocyanato)(2,2′-bipyridyl-4,4′-dicarboxylato)(2,2′-bipyridyl-4,4′-di-nonyl)ruthenium(II) (Z907) under standard AM 1.5 sunlight. The complex CS90 gave a photocurrent density of 1.80?mA?cm^?2, 400?mV open-circuit potential, and 0.58 fill factor yielding an efficiency of 0.42% where the reference Z907 yielded an efficiency of 4.12%. The decrease in conversion efficiency observed for CS90 is attributed to a steric interaction between PYE and the TiO₂ surface that prevents optimum binding and also restricts ligand dynamics that are associated with oxidation state changes.     

Adsorption of 2,2′-bipyridine at an Au(111)|ionic liquid electrified interface

The adsorption of added 2,2′-bipyridine (2,2′-BP) from 1-ethyl-2,3-dimethyl imidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (EMMImNTf₂) at an Au(111) electrode has been investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Addition of 2,2′-BP to the ionic liquid clearly modifies the interfacial region as a result of the competition between 2,2′-BP and EMMImNTf₂ to occupy the electrode surface. Within the region of ideal polarizability, the 2,2′-BP adlayer undergoes structural changes, shown by the presence of peaks in the CV curves. Between −0.2 V and + 0.9 V, the capacitance–potential curves obtained from EIS data present a capacity maximum depending strongly on the ac frequency, which is typical pseudo-capacitive behavior indicative of a reorganization of the interfacial layer. At more positive potentials a true capacity value close to 10 μF.cm^− 2 and invariant with the potential suggests that the 2,2′-BP molecules adopt a perpendicular orientation with the nitrogen atoms facing the electrode surface, similar to their adsorption on gold from aqueous solutions.     

Electrical,optical and photoelectrochemical studies on a solid PEO-polymer electrolyte doped with low viscosity ionic liquid

Solid polymer electrolyte (PEO:KI:I₂) membranes doped with low viscosity (34 cP at 25 °C) ionic liquid EMImTFSI (1-ethyl 3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide) showing plasticizing effect as well as improved dye sensitized solar cell efficiency have been reported first time. Apart from ionic conductivity enhancement due to large number of free charge carriers provided by ionic liquid (IL) it assist in reducing cystallinity of polymer electrolyte matrix which was confirmed by polarized optical microscopy (POM). Cyclic voltammetry was carried out to study the reactions of iodide, iodine and IL in polymer electrolyte matrix.     

Novel Iron-Based Polynuclear Metal Complexes [FeII(L)(CN)4]2–[FeIII(H2O)3Cl]2: Synthesis and Study of Photovoltaic Properties for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell

A series of novel polynuclear iron-based photosensitizers (1–3) with cyano-bridged to form a molecular square were synthesized and their optical, electrochemical, and photovoltaic properties were investigated. The modification of anchoring groups with 4,4'-dicarboxy-2,2'-bipyridine, 2,2'-bipyridine, and 4,4'-dimethoxy-2,2'-bipyridine does not show significant changes on the both absorption and electrochemical properties of these iron-based dyes. This indicates that the polynuclear iron-based photosensitizers have better flexibility to regulate their physical properties of solubility, surface absorption, and thin-film formation for device preparation. The polynuclear new dyes show power conversion efficiencies ranged from 0.43 to 0.48% that is almost the best system among the published iron-based photosensitizers. These iron-based dyes were able to chemisorb on TiO₂ surface efficiently and then promoting electron injection and photocurrent generation in a dye-sensitized solar cell with solar irradiation.

     

Synthetic procedures and structural features of new di- and tri-nuclear chelate compounds of Cd(II) with sulfur and nitrogen donor ligands

Cd(dmpymt)₂ reacts with CdCl₂, CdBr₂·4H₂O, CdI₂, 2,2′-bipyridine and 1,10-phenanthroline to give the dimeric chelates [Cd(dmpymt)(bpy)Cl]₂ and [Cd(dmpymt)(phen)Cl]₂, as well as the tri-nuclear complexes [Cd₃(dmpymt)₄(bpy)₂Br₂] and [Cd₃(dmpymt)₄(bpy)₂I₂] (dmpymtH = 4,6-dimethylpyrimidine-2-thione; bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine; phen = 1,10-phenantroline). In all complexes the Cd(II) centers present the coordination number six. The new compounds are examples of the managing of the final aggregation state of thiolate metal complexes by introducing co-ligands to block specific coordination sites of the metal center.     

Photoelectrochemical solar cell properties of heteropolytungstic acid-incorporated TiO2 nanodisc thin films

Thin film of heteropolytungstic acid (HPA)-incorporated TiO₂ nanodisc was fabricated, and its photovoltaic performances were observed as a function of irradiation wavelength from 400 nm to 750 nm. Its incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) was determined to be 18.6% around 500 nm, with energy conversion efficiency of 6.9%, which were observed to be further enhanced to 23% and 9%, respectively, by adsorption of ruthenium or porphyrin dyes. Complementary electron transports from both HPA and dyes to TiO₂ nanodisc seems to avoid most of the backward electron or hole transfer reactions to enhance the photoelectrochemical efficiencies of dye-sensitized solar cells.     

New Amphiphilic Polypyridyl Ruthenium（Ⅱ） Sensitizer and Its Application in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Amphiphilic polypyridyl mthenium（Ⅱ） complex cis-di（isothiocyanato）（4,4＇-di-tert-butyl-2,2＇-bipyridyl）（4,4＇- dicarboxy-2,2＇-bipyridyl）ruthenium（Ⅱ）（K005） has been synthesized and characterized by cyclic voltammetry, ^1H NMR, UV-Vis, and FT-IR spectroscopies. The sensitizer sensitizes TiO2 over a notably broad spectral range due to its intense metal-to-ligand charge-transfer （MLCT） bands at 537 and 418 nm. The photophysical and photochemical studies of K005 were contrasted with those of cis-Ru（dcbpy）2（NCS）2, known as the N3 dye, and the amphiphilic ruthenium（Ⅱ） dye Z907. A reversible couple at E1/2=0.725 V vs. saturated calomel electrode （SCE） with a separation of 0.08 V between the anodic and cathodic peaks, was observed due to the Ru^Ⅱ/Ⅲ couple by cyclic voltammetry. Furthermore, this amphiphilic ruthenium complex was successfully used as sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells with the efficiency of 3.72% at the 100 mW·cm^-2 irradiance of air mass 1.5 simulated sunlight without optimization of TiO2 films and the electrolyte.     

High-surface-area microporous carbon as the efficient photocathode of dye-sensitized solar cells

This paper reports on the application of cornstalks-derived high-surface-area microporous carbon (MC) as the efficient photocathode of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The photocathode, which contains MC active material, Vulcan XC–72 carbon black conductive agent, and TiO₂ binder, was obtained by a doctor blade method. Electronic impedance spectroscopy (EIS) of the MC film uniformly coated on fluorine doped SnO₂ (FTO) glass displayed a low charge-transfer resistance of 1.32 Ω cm². Cyclic voltammetry (CV) analysis of the as-prepared MC film exhibited excellent catalytic activity for I₃^?/I^? redox reactions. The DSCs assembled with the MC film photocathode presented a short-circuit photocurrent density (J_sc) of 14.8 mA cm^?2, an open-circuit photovoltage (V_oc) of 798 mV, and a fill factor (FF) of 62.3%, corresponding to an overall conversion efficiency of 7.36% under AM 1.5 irradiation (100 mW cm^?2), which is comparable to that of DSCs with Pt photocathode obtained by conventional thermal decomposition.