Novel D-D-π-A indoline-linked coumarin sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells

Design, synthesis, and spectroscopic profiling of novel coumarin dyes: Investigating solvent sensitivity and photophysical properties

Coumarin dyes are highly versatile and widely employed as fluorescent chemosensors in a variety of fields, including molecular imaging, bioorganic chemistry, analytical chemistry, materials chemistry, biology, and medical science. Thanks to their outstanding photostability and high quantum yield, they represent an ideal choice for developing sensitive and selective sensing platforms. In this study, we successfully designed and synthesized four new dyes based on the coumarin dye molecular skeleton, investigating their solvent sensitivity and spectroscopic properties. Our novel coumarin dyes were synthesized by a straightforward approach, reacting coumarin-3-carboxylic acid succinimidyl ester derivatives with corresponding amines in 1,4-dioxane as a solvent. We carefully monitored the completion of the reactions using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and characterized these dyes using spectral and elemental analyses. We further investigated the UV, fluorescence, time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) technique and time-resolved spectroscopy (TRES) of these dyes in different solvents and on polymer film poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The quantum yield of the synthesized dyes was determined, with values observed to range between 0.55 and 0.94. Most of the dye-solvent and dye-polymer combinations exhibited single exponential decay, with lifetimes ranging from 2.3 to 3 ns. Minor deviations from single exponential behavior were observed for most of the dyes in toluene, while significant deviations were observed for coumarin dyes with piperazine moiety. We have provided a rationalization of these results in terms of the chemical functionalities of the various dyes. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of interactions between 7-methoxy-2-oxo-N-(2-(piperazin-1-yl)ethyl)-2H-chromene-3-carboxamide and silica nanoparticles (Ludox) on the spectroscopic properties of these dyes, with charge transfer being one possible mechanism contributing to the behavior of the dyes. Additionally, we explored the effect of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) on the dyes' emission intensity and fluorescence decay. Based on our UV and fluorescence measurements of the dyes in different solvents, we have concluded that these dyes can create excellent donor-acceptor pairs for our upcoming fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) experiments.

Green Synthesis of Electrophilic Alkenes Using a Magnesium Catalyst under Aqueous Conditions and Mechanistic Insights by Density Functional Theory

A green approach for the synthesis of electrophilic alkenes has been developed via Knoevenagel condensation between active methylene compounds and carbonyl compounds using Mg powder under aqueous conditions. In this strategy, Mg(OH)2 acts as a catalyst, which was generated in situ by the reaction between metallic Mg (20 mol %) and water. Mg was found to be an efficient, nontoxic, and inexpensive metal catalyst system for producing a range of electrophilic alkenes in excellent yields (≤98%). A gram-scale synthesis of electrophilic alkenes has been developed, and Mg metal was recovered and recycled up to three times without an appreciable loss of catalytic activity. A catalytic cycle was proposed, and the reaction mechanism was investigated using density functional theory. The key steps are enolization of ethyl cyanoacetate, C-C bond formation, and then regeneration of the catalyst via metathesis with H2O. The overall reaction occurs easily with a maximum ΔG°⧧ value of 7.9 kcal/mol for the rate-determining C-C bond formation step. Our protocol has several advantages and can be further extended to one-pot sequential Knoevenagel condensation and Michael addition, and one-pot sequential Knoevenagel condensation and chemoselective reduction can be used for the synthesis of valuable precursors of pharmaceutical products under green and aqueous conditions.

A quantum chemical study: thoughtful exploration for optimal donors in Y-type dual donor-based dye sensitizers

This research explores the influence of different dual donors on the effectiveness of dye sensitizers. We selected 35 diverse donors to construct Y-type dual donor-based dyes, connecting them with thiophene as the π-spacer and cyanoacrylic acid as the acceptor. Density functional theory calculations indicate that these dual donor-based dyes exhibit superior optoelectronic properties compared to their single donor counterparts. Notably, significant variations in charge distribution among the different dual donors affect their donor capabilities. Our calculations specifically highlight the enhanced thermodynamic parameters, including light harvesting efficiency (LHE), the free energy of dye injection (ΔGinject), and regeneration (ΔGreg), for donor moieties containing nitrogen atoms, such as NS-3 (N,N-dimethylaniline), NS-5 (diphenylamine), NS-6 (triphenylamine), and NS-8 (4-methoxy-N-(4-methoxyphenyl)-N-phenylaniline). These results suggest that nitrogen-containing donor moieties act as promising candidates for donors for efficient dye sensitizers. However, further experimental validation in the near future will be necessary to confirm our findings.

The impact of aromatic π-spacers and internal acceptors in triphenylamine dyes for DSSCs: A DFT approach

In present work, the influence of internal acceptors and π-spacers on optoelectronic properties for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is investigated. The dyes consist of various internal acceptors (A), a triphenylamine donor and π-spacers combined with cyanoacrylic acid acceptor. Density functional theory (DFT) was employed to inspect the dye geometries, charge transport characteristics and electronic excitations. The frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs), highest occupied molecular orbital, lowest unoccupied molecular orbital and HOMO-LUMO energy gap are assisted in the determination of suitable energy levels for electron transfer, electron injection and regeneration of dye. The required photovoltaic parameters like J_SC, ΔG_reg, ΔG_inj, LHE and other associated parameters are presented. The results demonstrate that altering the π-bridge and adding an internal acceptor to the D-π-A scaffold changes the photovoltaic properties and absorption energies. Therefore, the key objective of the current effort is to launch a theoretical groundwork for suitable operational alterations and scheme in creating successful DSSCs.

Application of COSMO-RS-DARE as a Tool for Testing Consistency of Solubility Data: Case of Coumarin in Neat Alcohols

Coumarin is a naturally occurring lactone-type benzopyrone with various applications in the pharmaceutical, food, perfume, and cosmetics industries. This hydrophobic compound is poorly soluble in water but dissolves well in protic organic solvents such as alcohols. Despite the extensive use of coumarin, there are only a few reports documenting its solubility in organic solvents, and some reported data are incongruent, which was the direct impulse for this study. To resolve this problem, a theoretical congruency test was formulated using COSMO-RS-DARE for the determination of intermolecular interaction parameters, which allowed for the identification of outliers as suspicious datasets. The perfect match between back-computed values of coumarin solubility and the experimental ones confirms the reliability of the formulated theoretical approach and its adequacy for testing solubility data consistency. As the final approval, the temperature-related coumarin solubility in seven neat alcohols was determined experimentally. Four solvents (methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, and 2-propanol) were used for reproducibility purposes, and an additional three (1-butanol, 1-pentanol, and 1-octanol) were used to extend the information on the homologous series. The consistency of this extended solubility dataset is discussed in terms of the comparison of remeasured solubility values with the ones already published and within the series of structurally similar solvents. The proposed procedure extends the range of applicability of COSMO-RS-DARE and provides a real and useful tool for consistency tests of already published solubility data, allowing for the approval/disapproval of existing data and filling gaps in datasets. Linear regressions utilizing a 2D molecular descriptor, SpMin2_Bhm, or the distance between solute and solvent in the Hansen solubility space, Ra, were formulated for the estimation of COMSO-RS-DARE integration parameters.

New 3-Ethynylaryl Coumarin-Based Dyes for DSSC Applications: Synthesis, Spectroscopic Properties, and Theoretical Calculations

A set of 3-ethynylaryl coumarin dyes with mono, bithiophenes and the fused variant, thieno [3,2-b] thiophene, as well as an alkylated benzotriazole unit were prepared and tested for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). For comparison purposes, the variation of the substitution pattern at the coumarin unit was analyzed with the natural product 6,7-dihydroxycoumarin (Esculetin) as well as 5,7-dihydroxycomarin in the case of the bithiophene dye. Crucial steps for extension of the conjugated system involved Sonogashira reaction yielding highly fluorescent molecules. Spectroscopic characterization showed that the extension of conjugation via the alkynyl bridge resulted in a strong red-shift of absorption and emission spectra (in solution) of approximately 73–79 nm and 52–89 nm, respectively, relative to 6,7-dimethoxy-4-methylcoumarin (λ_abs = 341 nm and λ_em = 410 nm). Theoretical density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital (LUMO) is mostly centered in the cyanoacrylic anchor unit, corroborating the high intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) character of the electronic transition. Photovoltaic performance evaluation reveals that the thieno [3,2-b] thiophene unit present in dye 8 leads to the best sensitizer of the set, with a conversion efficiency (η = 2.00%), best V_OC (367 mV) and second best J_sc (9.28 mA·cm⁻²), surpassed only by dye 9b (J_sc = 10.19 mA·cm⁻²). This high photocurrent value can be attributed to increased donor ability of the 5,7-dimethoxy unit when compared to the 6,7 equivalent (9b).

Novel Dyes Design Based on First Principles and the Prediction of Energy Conversion Efficiencies of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

With the depletion of fossil energy, solar energy has gradually attracted people's attention. Dye-sensitized solar cells have developed rapidly in recent years due to their low cost and high conversion efficiency. In this article, based on the theoretical research on the photovoltaic parameters of DSSCs in the early stages of the research team, we have made an accurate prediction of J sc, V oc, and PCE of C286. (The error in our predicted PCE values was 3.33% relative to the experiment.) Also, we further designed a series of new dyes CH1-CH5 by introducing donors and co-acceptors with C286-C288 as the prototype using the DFT/TDDFT method. The PCE of the designed dyes CH2-CH5 exceed the given dye C286, especially the CH3 and CH4 obtained the PCE of 26.2 and 14.5%. This indicates the proposed dyes offer a dramatic improvement on PCE for DSSC devices. Moreover, the designed dyes such as CH3 and CH4 have great potential to be applied to photovoltaic applications, further enabling the design of novel, highly efficient photoactive materials.

Overview on developed synthesis procedures of coumarin heterocycles

Considering highly valuable biological and pharmaceutical properties of coumarins, the synthesis of these heterocycles has been considered for many organic and pharmaceutical chemists. This review includes the recent research in synthesis methods of coumarin systems, investigating their biological properties and describing the literature reports for the period of 2016 to the middle of 2020. In this review, we have classified the contents based on co-groups of coumarin ring. These reported methods are carried out in the classical and non-classical conditions particularly under green condition such as using green solvent, catalyst and other procedures.