Effect of the second chromophore energy gap on photo-induced electron injection in di-chromophoric porphyrin-sensitized solar cells

This work investigates the effect of the second chromophore energy gap on charge generation in porphyrin-based di-chromophoric dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Three di-chromophoric porphyrin dyes (PorY, PorO and PorR) containing three organic chromophores with decreasing frontier orbital energy offsets, including a carbazole-triphenylamine chromophore (yellow, Y), a carbazole fused-thiophene chromophore (orange, O) or a carbazole-thiophene benzothiadiazole thiophene chromophore (red, R), were investigated using optical and electrochemical methods, steady-state photoluminescence and photovoltaic device characterization. Energy transfer from the organic chromophore to the porphyrin was suggested in PorY and PorO as the main charge generation mechanism in DSSCs using these di-chromophoric dyes. On the other hand, electron transfer from the photo-excited porphyrin to the organic chromophore as a competing pathway leading to the loss of photocurrent is suggested for PorR-sensitized solar cells. The latter pathway leading to a loss of photocurrent is due to the lower lying lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of the additional organic chromophore (R) and suggests the limitation of the current di-chromophoric approach to increase the overall efficiency of DSSCs.

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Donor-π-acceptor, triazine-linked porphyrin dyads as sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells

Journal of Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines ◽

10.1142/s108842461450117x ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 19 (01-03) ◽

pp. 175-191 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Ganesh D. Sharma ◽

Galateia E. Zervaki ◽

Kalliopi Ladomenou ◽

Emmanuel N. Koukaras ◽

Panagiotis P. Angaridis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Solar Cell ◽

Carboxylic Acid ◽

Power Conversion Efficiency ◽

Conversion Efficiency ◽

Power Conversion ◽

Dye Sensitized Solar Cells ◽

Orbital Energy ◽

Dye Sensitized ◽

Sensitized Solar Cells

Two porphyrin dyads with the donor-π-acceptor molecular architecture, namely ( ZnP )-[triazine-gly]-( H 2 PCOOH ) and ( ZnP )-[triazine-Npip]-( H 2 PCOOH ), which consist of a zinc-metalated porphyrin unit and a free-base porphyrin unit covalently linked at their peripheries to a central triazine group, substituted either by a glycine in the former or a N-piperidine group in the latter, have been synthesized via consecutive amination substitution reactions of cyanuric chloride. The UV-vis absorption spectra and cyclic-voltammetry measurements of the two dyads, as well as theoretical calculations based on Density Functional Theory, suggest that they have suitable frontier orbital energy levels for use as sensitizers in dye-sensitized solar cells. Dye-sensitized solar cells based on ( ZnP )-[triazine-gly]-( H 2 PCOOH ) and ( ZnP )-[triazine-Npip]-( H 2 PCOOH ) have been fabricated, and they were found to exhibit power conversion efficiency values of 5.44 and 4.15%, respectively. Photovoltaic measurements (J–V curves) and incident photon to current conversion efficiency spectra of the two solar cells suggest that the higher power conversion efficiency value of the former solar cell is a result of its enhanced short circuit current, open circuit voltage, and fill factor values, as well as higher dye loading. This is ascribed to the existence of two carboxylic acid anchoring groups in ( ZnP )-[triazine-gly]-( H 2 PCOOH ), compared to one carboxylic acid group in ( ZnP )-[triazine-Npip]-( H 2 PCOOH ), which leads to a more effective binding onto the TiO 2 photoanode. Electrochemical impedance spectra show evidence that the ( ZnP )-[triazine-gly]-( H 2 PCOOH ) based solar cell exhibits a longer electron lifetime and more effective suppression of charge recombination reactions between the injected electrons and electrolyte.

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Organic Chromophores Based on a Fused Bis-Thiazole Core and Their Application in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

European Journal of Organic Chemistry ◽

10.1002/ejoc.201301094 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2013 (26) ◽

pp. 5961-5961 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Alessio Dessì ◽

Gabriella Barozzino Consiglio ◽

Massimo Calamante ◽

Gianna Reginato ◽

Alessandro Mordini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Dye Sensitized Solar Cells ◽

Organic Chromophores ◽

Dye Sensitized ◽

Sensitized Solar Cells

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Metal-free efficient dye-sensitized solar cells based on thioalkylated bithiophenyl organic dyes

Journal of Materials Chemistry C ◽

10.1039/d0tc02310h ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (43) ◽

pp. 15322-15330 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Fang-Sian Lin ◽

Pragya Priyanka ◽

Miao-Syuan Fan ◽

Sureshraju Vegiraju ◽

Jen-Shyang Ni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Organic Dyes ◽

Dye Sensitized Solar Cells ◽

Metal Free ◽

Organic Chromophores ◽

Dye Sensitized ◽

Sensitized Solar Cells

A series of new metal-free organic dyes based on 3,3′-dithioalkyl-2,2′-bithiophene (SBT) organic chromophores was synthesized for use in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs).

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Influence of Ion Induced Local Coulomb Field and Polarity on Charge Generation and Efficiency in Poly(3-Hexylthiophene)-Based Solid-State Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Advanced Functional Materials ◽

10.1002/adfm.201100048 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 21 (13) ◽

pp. 2571-2579 ◽

Cited By ~ 65

Author(s):

Agnese Abrusci ◽

R. Sai Santosh Kumar ◽

Mohammed Al-Hashimi ◽

Martin Heeney ◽

Annamaria Petrozza ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Solid State ◽

Dye Sensitized Solar Cells ◽

Coulomb Field ◽

Charge Generation ◽

Dye Sensitized ◽

Sensitized Solar Cells

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Towards Rational Designing of Efficient Sensitizers Based on Thiophene and Infrared Dyes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Journal of Quantum Chemistry ◽

10.1155/2014/796790 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-6 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ahmad Irfan ◽

Abdullah G. Al-Sehemi ◽

Shabbir Muhammad

Keyword(s):

Density Functional Theory ◽

Solar Cells ◽

Molecular Orbital ◽

Density Functional ◽

Energy Gap ◽

Dye Sensitized Solar Cells ◽

Functional Theory ◽

Dye Sensitized ◽

Orbital Energies ◽

Sensitized Solar Cells

Geometries, electronic properties, and absorption spectra of the dyes which are a combination of thiophene based dye (THPD) and IR dyes (covering IR region; TIRBD1-TIRBD3) were performed using density functional theory (DFT) and time dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT), respectively. Different electron donating groups, electron withdrawing groups, and IR dyes have been substituted on THPD to enhance the efficiency. The bond lengths of new designed dyes are almost the same. The lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energies of designed dyes are above the conduction band of TiO2 and the highest occupied molecular orbital energies are below the redox couple revealing that TIRBD1-TIRBD3 would be better sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells. The broad spectra and low energy gap also showed that designed materials would be efficient sensitizers.

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