Tuning the HOMO and LUMO energy levels of organic chromophores for dye sensitized solar cells

A series of organic chromophores have been synthesized in order to approach optimal energy level composition in the TiO2-dye-iodide/triiodide system in the dye-sensitized solar cells. HOMO and LUMO energy level tuning is achieved by varying the conjugation between the triphenylamine donor and the cyanoacetic acid acceptor. This is supported by spectral and electrochemical experiments and TDDFT calculations. These results show that energetic tuning of the chromophores was successful and fulfilled the thermodynamic criteria for dye-sensitized solar cells, electrical losses depending on the size and orientation of the chromophores were observed.     

A novel organic chromophore for dye-sensitized nanostructured solar cells

A novel and efficient polyene-diphenylaniline dye for dye-sensitized solar cells has been synthesized. The dye has a short synthesis route and is readily adsorbed on TiO2 under a variety of dye-bath conditions. The overall solar-to-energy conversion efficiency is over 5% in the preliminary tests, in comparison with the conventional N719 dye which gives 6% under the same conditions. The dye is designed for future use also in solid state devices, with triarylamine based hole conductors.     

Molecular engineering of organic sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cell applications

Novel unsymmetrical organic sensitizers comprising donor, electron-conducting, and anchoring groups were engineered at a molecular level and synthesized for sensitization of mesoscopic titanium dioxide injection solar cells. The unsymmetrical organic sensitizers 3-(5-(4-(diphenylamino)styryl)thiophen-2-yl)-2-cyanoacrylic acid (D5), 3-(5-bis(4-(diphenylamino)styryl)thiophen-2-yl)-2-cyanoacrylic acid (D7), 5-(4-(bis(4-methoxyphenylamino)styryl)thiophen-2-yl)-2-cyanoacrylic acid (D9), and 3-(5-bis(4,4'-dimethoxydiphenylamino)styryl)thiophen-2-yl)-2-cyanoacrylic acid (D11) anchored onto TiO2 and were tested in dye-sensitized solar cell with a volatile electrolyte. The monochromatic incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency of these sensitizers is above 80%, and D11-sensitized solar cells yield a short-circuit photocurrent density of 13.90 +/- 0.2 mA/cm(2), an open-circuit voltage of 740 +/- 10 mV, and a fill factor of 0.70 +/- 0.02, corresponding to an overall conversion efficiency of 7.20% under standard AM 1.5 sun light. Detailed investigations of these sensitizers reveal that the long electron lifetime is responsible for differences in observed open-circuit potential of the cell. As an alternative to liquid electrolyte cells, a solid-state organic hole transporter is used in combination with the D9 sensitizer, which exhibited an efficiency of 3.25%. Density functional theory/time-dependent density functional theory calculations have been employed to gain insight into the electronic structure and excited states of the investigated species.     

A Light‐Resistant Organic Sensitizer for Solar‐Cell Applications

Finely tuned : A stable dye‐sensitized solar cell that contains a molecularly engineered organic dye has been prepared. The efficiency of the cell remains at 90 % after 1000 h of light soaking at 60 °C. The remarkable stability of the cell is also reflected in the open‐circuit voltage value (V_oc), short‐circuit photocurrent‐density value (J_sc), and the fill factor, which also show barely no decline (see picture).