Issue 42, 2012

Ru-based donor–acceptor photosensitizer that retards charge recombination in a p-type dye-sensitized solar cell

Abstract

We report on the synthesis and characterization of a donor–acceptor ruthenium polypyridyl complex as a photosensitizer for p-type dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The electrochemical, photophysical, and photovoltaic performance of two ruthenium-based photosensitizers were tested in NiO-based DSSCs; bis-(2,2′-bipyridine-4,4′-dicarboxylic acid)2N-(1,10-phenanthroline)-4-nitronaphthalene-1,8-dicarboximide ruthenium(II), ([Ru(dcb)2(NMI-phen)](PF6)2) and tris-(2,2′-bipyridine-4,4′-dicarboxylic acid)3 ruthenium(II), [(Ru(dcb)3)Cl2]. The presence of an electron-accepting group, 4-nitronaphthalene-1,8-dicarboximide (NMI), attached to the phenanthroline of [Ru(dcb)2(NMI-phen)]2+ resulted in long-lived charge separation between reduced [Ru(dcb)2(NMI-phen)]2+ and NiO valence band holes; 10–50 μs. In the reduced state for [Ru(dcb)2(NMI-phen)]2+, the electron localized on the distal NMI group. In tests with I3/I and Co(4,4′-di-tert-butyl-bipyridine)32+/3+ electrolytes, [Ru(dcb)2(NMI-phen)]2+ outperformed [Ru(dcb)3]2+ in solar cell efficiency in devices. A record APCE (25%) was achieved for a ruthenium photosensitizer in a p-type DSSC. Insights on photosensitizer regeneration kinetics are included.

Graphical abstract: Ru-based donor–acceptor photosensitizer that retards charge recombination in a p-type dye-sensitized solar cell

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
17 Apr 2012
Accepted
10 Jul 2012
First published
10 Jul 2012

Dalton Trans., 2012,41, 13105-13111

Ru-based donor–acceptor photosensitizer that retards charge recombination in a p-type dye-sensitized solar cell

J. C. Freys, J. M. Gardner, L. D'Amario, A. M. Brown and L. Hammarström, Dalton Trans., 2012, 41, 13105 DOI: 10.1039/C2DT30829K

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements