Metal‐Free Sensitizers for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

This review focuses on our work on metal‐free sensitizers for dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Sensitizers based on D?A′?π?A architecture (D is a donor, A is an acceptor, A′ is an electron‐deficient entity) exhibit better light harvesting than D?π?A‐type sensitizers. However, appropriate molecular design is needed to avoid excessive aggregation of negative charge at the electron‐deficient entity upon photoexcitation. Rigidified aromatics, including aromatic segments comprising fused electron‐excessive and ‐deficient units in the spacer, allow effective electronic communication, and good photoinduced charge transfer leads to excellent cell performance. Sensitizers with two anchors/acceptors, D(–π–A)₂, can more efficiently harvest light, inject electrons, and suppress dark current compared with congeners with a single anchor. Appropriate incorporation of heteroaromatic units in the spacer is beneficial to DSSC performance. High‐performance, aqueous‐based DSSCs can be achieved with a dual redox couple comprising imidazolium iodide and 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidin‐N‐oxyl, and/or using dyes of improved wettability through the incorporation of a triethylene oxide methyl ether chain.

     

Synthesis and Characterization of Donor–π‐Acceptor‐Based Porphyrin Sensitizers: Potential Application of Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

New porphyrin sensitizers based on donor–π‐acceptor (D‐π‐A) approach have been designed, synthesized, characterized by various spectroscopic techniques and their photovoltaic properties explored. N,N′‐Diphenylamine acts as donor, the porphyrin is the π‐spacer, and either carboxylic acid or cyanoacryclic acid acts as acceptor. All compounds were characterized by using ¹H NMR spectroscopy, ESI‐MS, UV–visible emission spectroscopies as well as electrochemical methods. The presence of aromatic groups between porphyrin π‐plane and acceptor group push the absorption of both Soret and Q‐bands of porphyrin towards the red region. The electrochemical properties suggests that LUMO of these sensitizers above the TiO₂ conduction band. Finally, the device was fabricated using liquid redox electrolyte (I^?/I₃^?) and its efficiency was compared with that of a leading sensitizer.     

Benzimidazole/Pyridoimidazole‐Based Organic Sensitizers for High‐Performance Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

A new series of benzimidazole ( BIm )‐based dyes ( SC32 and SC33 ) and pyridoimidazole‐( PIm ) based dyes ( SC35, SC36N and SC36 ) were synthesized as sensitizers for dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The N‐substituent and C‐substituent at the BIm and PIm cores were found to be the dominating factor in determining the electronic properties of the dyes and their DSSCs performance. The efficiency of BIm ‐based dyes ( SC35 and SC36 ) was found to be higher than that of the PIm ‐based dyes ( SC32 and SC33 ) due to better light harvesting. The C‐substituents in SC36 , a 4‐hexylloxybenzene and a hexyl chain, are beneficial to dark current suppression, and hence SC36 achieves the best efficiency of 7.38 % (≈85 % of N719 ). The two BIm dyes have better cell efficiencies than their congeners with a bithiophene entity between the BIm and the anchor due to better light harvesting of the former.     

New Dual Donor–Acceptor (2D‐π‐2A) Porphyrin Sensitizers for Stable and Cost‐Effective Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

A series of porphyrin sensitizers that featured two electron‐donating groups and dual anchoring groups that were connected through a porphine π‐bridging unit have been synthesized and successfully applied in dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The presence of electron‐donating groups had a significant influence on their spectroscopic, electrochemical, and photovoltaic properties. Overall, the dual anchoring groups gave tunable electronic properties and stronger attachment to TiO₂. These new dyes were readily synthesized in a minimum number of steps in gram‐scale quantities. Optical and electrochemical data confirmed the advantages of these dyes for use as sensitizers in DSSCs. Porphyrins with electron‐donating amino moieties provided improved charge separation and better charge‐injection efficiencies for the studied dual‐push–pull dyes. Attenuated total reflectance–Fourier‐transform infrared (ATR‐FTIR) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy of the porphyrin dyes on TiO₂ suggest that both p‐carboxyphenyl groups are attached onto TiO₂, thereby resulting in strong attachment. Among these dyes, cis-Zn2BC2A , with two electron‐donating 3,6‐ditertbutyl‐phenyl‐carbazole groups and dual‐anchoring p‐carboxyphenyl groups, showed the highest efficiency of 4.07 %, with J_SC=9.81 mA cm^?2, V_OC=0.63 V, and FF=66 %. Our results also indicated a better photostability of the studied dual‐anchored sensitizers compared to their mono‐anchored analogues under identical conditions. These results provide insight into the developments of a new generation of high‐efficiency and thermally stable porphyrin sensitizers.     

Benzoporphyrins: Selective Co‐sensitization in Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

A novel class of dyes, namely benzoporphyrins, was synthesized and implemented into dye‐sensitized solar cells. They feature complementary absorptions compared to N719 , which renders them promising candidates for co‐sensitization in DSSCs. Notably, metallated benzoporphyrins reveal a TiO₂–nanoparticle attachment that is size and aggregation dependent. Therefore, unproductive energy‐transfer events between the selectively attached dyes can be prevented. In light of the latter, an efficiency improvement of 39 % has been achieved upon selective adsorption of benzoporphyrins and N719 onto different layers of TiO₂ photoelectrode.     

New Synthetic Routes towards Soluble and Dissymmetric Triphenodioxazine Dyes Designed for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

New π‐conjugated structures are constantly the subject of research in dyes and pigments industry and electronic organic field. In this context, the triphenodioxazine (TPDO) core has often been used as efficient photostable pigments and once integrated in air stable n‐type organic field‐effect transistor (OFET). However, little attention has been paid to the TPDO core as soluble materials for optoelectronic devices, possibly due to the harsh synthetic conditions and the insolubility of many compounds. To benefit from the photostability of TPDO in dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSCs), an original synthetic pathway has been established to provide soluble and dissymmetric molecules applied to a suitable design for the sensitizers of DSC. The study has been pursued by the theoretical modeling of opto‐electronic properties, the optical and electronic characterizations of dyes and elaboration of efficient devices. The discovery of new synthetic pathways opens the way to innovative designs of TPDO for materials used in organic electronics.     

Organic Dyes Containing Pyrenylamine‐Based Cascade Donor Systems with Different Aromatic π Linkers for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells: Optical,Electrochemical, and Device Characteristics

New organic dyes containing pyrenylamine donors in a cascade arrangement and cyanoacrylic acid acceptors have been synthesized and characterized by optical, electrochemical, and theoretical studies. The dyes inherit a D ‐π¹‐D ‐π²‐A (D=donor, A=acceptor) molecular architecture where the π linkers π¹ are changed from phenyl to biphenyl and fluorene, whereas the π linker π² that connects the donor fragment with the acceptor is a phenyl unit. The conjugation pathway linking the two donor segments has been found to play a major role in the optical and electrochemical properties. Shorter π linkers such as phenyl groups facilitate the donor–acceptor interaction while the nonplanar biphenyl spacer decreases the electronic communication between the donors and enhances the oxidation propensity of the corresponding dye. All the dyes display an intense longer wavelength electronic transition,which is attributable to the amine‐to‐cyanoacrylic acid charge transfer. The extinction coefficient of this peak grows dramatically on increasing the conjugation pathway length between the two donor segments. The dyes were used as sensitizers in nanocrystalline TiO₂‐based dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and the cascade donor system contributed to the enhancement in the device efficiency due to favorable absorption and redox properties.     

Dipolar Compounds Containing Fluorene and a Heteroaromatic Ring as the Conjugating Bridge for High‐Performance Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

A novel series of dipolar organic dyes containing diarylamine as the electron donor, 2‐cyanoacrylic acid as the electron acceptor, and fluorene and a heteroaromatic ring as the conjugating bridge have been developed and characterized. These metal‐free dyes exhibited very high molar extinction coefficients in the electronic absorption spectra and have been successfully fabricated as efficient nanocrystalline TiO₂ dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The solar‐energy‐to‐electricity conversion efficiencies of DSSCs ranged from 4.92 to 6.88 %, which reached 68–96 % of a standard device of N719 fabricated and measured under the same conditions. With a TiO₂ film thickness of 6 μm, DSSCs based on these dyes had photocurrents surpassing that of the N719‐based device. DFT computation results on these dyes also provide detailed structural information in connection with their high cell performance.     

β‐Functionalized Push–Pull opp‐Dibenzoporphyrins as Sensitizers for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

A novel class of β‐functionalized push–pull zinc opp ‐dibenzoporphyrins were designed, synthesized, and utilized as sensitizers for dye‐sensitized solar cells. Spectral, electrochemical, and computational studies were systematically performed to evaluate their spectral coverage, redox behavior, and electronic structures. These porphyrins displayed much broader spectral coverage and more facile oxidation upon extension of the π conjugation. Free‐energy calculations and femtosecond transient absorption studies (charge injection rate in the range of 10¹¹ s⁻¹) suggested efficient charge injection from the excited singlet state of the porphyrin to the conduction band of TiO₂. The power conversion efficiency (η ) of YH3 bearing acrylic acid linkers (η =5.9 %) was close to that of the best ruthenium dye N719 (η =7.4 %) under similar conditions. The superior photovoltaic performance of YH3 was attributed to its higher light‐harvesting ability and more favorable electron injection and collection, as supported by electrochemical impedance spectral studies. This work demonstrates the exceptional potential of benzoporphyrins as sensitizers for dye‐sensitized solar cells.     

Tuning the Spectroscopic,Electrochemical, and Photovoltaic Properties of Triaryl Amine Based Sensitizers through Ring‐Fused Thiophene Bridges

The ring‐fused thiophene derivatives benzo[c]thiophene and its precursor bicyclo[2.2.2]octadiene (BCOD) have been introduced as π‐conjugated spacers for organic push–pull sensitizers with dihexyloxy‐substituted triphenylamine as donor and cyanoacrylic acid as acceptor ( OL1 , OL2 , OL3 , OL4 , OL5 , OL6 ). The effects of the fused ring on the spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of these sensitizers and their photovoltaic performance in dye‐sensitized solar cells have been evaluated. Introduction of a binary benzo[c]thiophene and ethylenedioxy thiophene as π bridge caused a significant red shift of the characteristic intramolecular charge‐transfer band to 642 nm. It is found that the sensitizer OL3 , which contains one benzo[c]thiophene unit as π linker, gives the highest overall conversion efficiency of 5.03 % among all these dyes.     

Structure–Performance Correlations of Organic Dyes with an Electron‐Deficient Diphenylquinoxaline Moiety for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

The high performances of dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on seven new dyes are disclosed. Herein, the synthesis and electrochemical and photophysical properties of a series of intentionally designed dipolar organic dyes and their application in DSSCs are reported. The molecular structures of the seven organic dyes are composed of a triphenylamine group as an electron donor, a cyanoacrylic acid as an electron acceptor, and an electron‐deficient diphenylquinoxaline moiety integrated in the π‐conjugated spacer between the electron donor and acceptor moieties. The DSSCs based on the dye DJ104 gave the best overall cell performance of 8.06 %; the efficiency of the DSSC based on the standard N719 dye under the same experimental conditions was 8.82 %. The spectral coverage of incident photon‐to‐electron conversion efficiencies extends to the onset at the near‐infrared region due to strong internal charge‐transfer transition as well as the effect of electron‐deficient diphenylquinoxaline to lower the energy gap in these organic dyes. A combined tetraphenyl segment as a hydrophobic barrier in these organic dyes effectively slows down the charge recombination from TiO₂ to the electrolyte and boosts the photovoltage, comparable to their Ru^II counterparts. Detailed spectroscopic studies have revealed the dye structure–cell performance correlations, to allow future design of efficient light‐harvesting organic dyes.     

Enhanced Performance of Quasi‐Solid‐State Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells by Branching the Linear Substituent in Sensitizers Based on Thieno[3,4‐c]pyrrole‐4,6‐dione

Thieno[3,4‐c]pyrrole‐4,6‐dione‐based organic sensitizers with triphenylamine ( FNE38 and FNE40 ) or julolidine ( FNE39 and FNE41 ) as electron‐donating unit have been designed and synthesized. A linear hexyl group or a branched alkyl chain, the 2‐ethylhexyl group, is incorporated into molecular skeleton of the dyes to minimize intermolecular interactions. The absorption, electrochemical, and photovoltaic properties for these sensitizers were then systematically investigated. It is found that the sensitizers have similar photophysical and electrochemical properties, such as absorption spectra and energy levels, owing to their close chemical structures. However, the quasi‐solid‐state dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on the two types of sensitizers exhibit very different performance parameters. Upon the incorporation of the short ethyl group on the hexyl moiety, enhancements in both open‐circuit voltage (V_oc) and short‐circuit current (J_sc) are achieved for the quasi‐solid‐state DSSCs. The V_oc gains originating from the suppression of charge recombination were quantitatively investigated and are in good agreement with the experimentally observed V_oc enhancements. Therefore, an enhanced solar energy conversion efficiency (η) of 6.16 %, constituting an increase by 23 %, is achieved under standard AM 1.5 sunlight without the use of coadsorbant agents for the quasi‐solid‐state DSSC based on sensitizer FNE40 , which bears the branched alkyl group, in comparison with that based on FNE38 carrying the linear alkyl group. This work presents a design concept for considering the crucial importance of the branched alkyl substituent in novel metal‐free organic sensitizers.     

Fluorinated Photovoltaic Materials for High‐Performance Organic Solar Cells

Over the past decade, organic solar cells (OSCs) have achieved a dramatic boost in their power conversion efficiencies from about 6 % to over 16 %. In addition to developments in device engineering, innovative photovoltaic materials, especially fluorinated donors and acceptors, have become the dominant factor for improved device performance. This minireview highlights fluorinated photovoltaic materials that enable efficient OSCs. Impressive OSCs have been obtained by developing some important molds of fluorinated donor and acceptor systems. The molecular design strategy and the matching principle of fluorinated donors and acceptors in OSCs are discussed. Finally, a concise summary and outlook are presented for advances in fluorinated materials to realize the practical application of OSCs.     

Influence of the Auxiliary Acceptor on the Absorption Response and Photovoltaic Performance of Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

Three new dyes with a 2‐(1,1‐dicyanomethylene)rhodanine (IDR‐ I , ‐ II , ‐ III ) electron acceptor as anchor were synthesized and applied to dye‐sensitized solar cells. We varied the bridging molecule to fine tune the electronic and optical properties of the dyes. It was demonstrated that incorporation of auxiliary acceptors effectively increased the molar extinction coefficient and extended the absorption spectra to the near‐infrared (NIR) region. Introduction of 2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole (BTD) improved the performance by nearly 50 %. The best performance of the dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on IDR‐ II reached 8.53 % (short‐circuit current density (J_sc)=16.73 mA cm^?2, open‐circuit voltage (V_oc)=0.71 V, fill factor (FF)=71.26 %) at AM 1.5 simulated sunlight. However, substitution of BTD with a group that featured the more strongly electron‐withdrawing thiadiazolo[3,4‐c]pyridine (PT) had a negative effect on the photovoltaic performance, in which IDR‐ III ‐based DSSCs showed the lowest efficiency of 4.02 %. We speculate that the stronger auxiliary acceptor acts as an electron trap, which might result in fast combination or hamper the electron transfer from donor to acceptor. This inference was confirmed by electrical impedance analysis and theoretical computations. Theoretical analysis indicates that the LUMO of IDR‐ III is mainly localized at the central acceptor group owing to its strong electron‐withdrawing character, which might in turn trap the electron or hamper the electron transfer from donor to acceptor, thereby finally decreasing the efficiency of electron injection into a TiO₂ semiconductor. This result inspired us to select moderated auxiliary acceptors to improve the performance in our further study.     

Side‐Chain Engineering of Benzodithiophene‐Fluorinated Quinoxaline Low‐Band‐Gap Co‐polymers for High‐Performance Polymer Solar Cells

A new series of donor–acceptor co‐polymers based on benzodithiophene and quinoxaline with various side chains have been developed for polymer solar cells. The effect of the degree of branching and dimensionality of the side chains were systematically investigated on the thermal stability, optical absorption, energy levels, molecular packing, and photovoltaic performance of the resulting co‐polymers. The results indicated that the linear and 2D conjugated side chains improved the thermal stabilities and optical absorptions. The introduction of alkylthienyl side chains could efficiently lower the energy levels compared with the alkoxyl‐substituted analogues, and the branched alkoxyl side chains could deepen the HOMO levels relative to the linear alkoxyl chains. The branched alkoxyl groups induced better lamellar‐like ordering, but poorer face‐to‐face packing behavior. The 2D conjugated side chains had a negative influence on the crystalline properties of the co‐polymers. The performance of the devices indicated that the branched alkoxyl side chains improved the V_oc, but decreased the J_sc and fill factor (FF). However, the 2D conjugated side chains would increase the V_oc, J_sc, and FF simultaneously. For the first time, our work provides insight into molecular design strategies through side‐chain engineering to achieve efficient polymer solar cells by considering both the degree of branching and dimensionality.     

A p‐Type NiO‐Based Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cell with an Open‐Circuit Voltage of 0.35 V

In tandem : Employing a molecular dyad and a cobalt‐based electrolyte gives a threefold‐increase in open‐circuit voltage (V_OC) for a p‐type NiO device (V_OC=0.35 V), and a fourfold better energy conversion efficiency. Incorporating these improvements in a TiO₂/NiO tandem dye‐sensitized solar cell (TDSC), results in a TDSC with a V_OC=0.91 V (see figure; CB=conductance band, VB= valence band).