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Firestone E, Staples R, Hamann TW. Open-Cage Copper Complexes Modulate Coordination and Charge Transfer. Inorg Chem 2024; 63:12081-12088. [PMID: 38946341 PMCID: PMC11220750 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.4c01046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
This study presents a novel copper-based redox shuttle that employs the PY5 pentadentate polypyridyl ligand in a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). The [Cu(PY5)]2+ complex exhibits a unique five-coordinate square pyramidal geometry, characterized by a strategically labile axial position, to facilitate efficient dye regeneration while minimizing electron recombination, thereby enhancing DSSC performance. Notably, the inclusion of 4-tert-butylpyridine (TBP) as an additive is shown to significantly modulate the electrochemical and photophysical properties of the copper complexes, attributed to its coordination to the vacant axial site. This interaction leads to an improved open-circuit voltage and overall device efficiency, with the complexes achieving promising efficiencies under standard solar irradiance. The findings underscore the potential of utilizing copper-based redox shuttles with designed ligand geometries to overcome the limitations of current DSSC materials, opening new avenues for the design and optimization of solar energy conversion devices. This work not only contributes to the fundamental understanding of the behavior of copper complexes in DSSCs but also paves the way for future research aimed at exploiting the full potential of such geometrical and electronic configurations for the development of more robust and efficient solar energy solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Firestone
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1322, United States
| | - Richard Staples
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1322, United States
| | - Thomas W. Hamann
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1322, United States
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2
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Amtawong J, Montgomery CL, Bein GP, Raithel AL, Hamann TW, Chen CH, Dempsey JL. Mechanism-Guided Kinetic Analysis of Electrocatalytic Proton Reduction Mediated by a Cobalt Catalyst Bearing a Pendant Basic Site. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:3742-3754. [PMID: 38316637 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c10408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Cobalt polypyridyl complexes stand out as efficient catalysts for electrochemical proton reduction, but investigations into their operating mechanisms, with broad-reaching implications in catalyst design, have been limited. Herein, we investigate the catalytic activity of a cobalt(II) polypyridyl complex bearing a pendant pyridyl base with a series of organic acids spanning 20 pKa units in acetonitrile. Structural analysis, as well as electrochemical studies, reveals that the Co(III) hydride intermediate is formed through reduction of the Co(II) catalyst followed by direct metal protonation in the initial EC step despite the presence of the pendant base, which is commonly thought of as a more kinetically accessible protonation site. Protonation of the pendant base occurs after the Co(III) hydride intermediate is further reduced in the overall ECEC pathway. Additionally, when the acid used is sufficiently strong, the Co(II) catalyst can be protonated, and the Co(III) hydride can react directly with acid to release H2. With thorough mechanistic understanding, the appropriate electroanalytical methods were identified to extract rate constants for the elementary steps over a range of conditions. Thermodynamic square schemes relating catalytic intermediates proposed in the three electrocatalytic HER mechanisms were constructed. These findings reveal a full description of the HER electrocatalysis mediated by this molecular system and provide insights into strategies to improve synthetic fuel-forming catalysts operative through metal hydride intermediates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaruwan Amtawong
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290, United States
| | - Charlotte L Montgomery
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290, United States
| | - Gabriella P Bein
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290, United States
| | - Austin L Raithel
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Thomas W Hamann
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Chun-Hsing Chen
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290, United States
| | - Jillian L Dempsey
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290, United States
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3
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Al-horaibi SA, Al-Odayni AB, ALSaeedy M, Al-Ostoot FH, Al-Salihy A, Alezzy A, Al-Adhreai A, Saif FA, Yaseen SA, Saeed WS. Exploring DSSC Efficiency Enhancement: SQI-F and SQI-Cl Dyes with Iodolyte Electrolytes and CDCA Optimization. Molecules 2023; 28:7129. [PMID: 37894607 PMCID: PMC10609238 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28207129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
This investigation delves into the potential use of halogen bonding to enhance both the short-circuit current (JSC) and overall efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Specifically, we synthesized two distinct dyes, SQI-F and SQI-Cl, and characterized them using FT-IR, 1HNMR, 13C NMR, and mass spectroscopy. These dyes are based on the concept of incorporating halogen atoms within unsymmetrical squaraine structures with a donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) configuration. This strategic design aims to achieve optimal performance within DSSCs. We conducted comprehensive assessments using DSSC devices and integrated these synthesized dyes with iodolyte electrolytes, denoted as Z-50 and Z-100. Further enhancements were achieved through the addition of CDCA. Remarkably, in the absence of CDCA, both SQI-F and SQI-Cl dyes displayed distinct photovoltaic characteristics. However, through sensitization with three equivalents of CDCA, a significant improvement in performance became evident. The peak of performance was reached with the SQI-F dye, sensitized with three equivalents of CDCA, and paired with iodolyte Z-100. This combination yielded an impressive DSSC device efficiency of 6.74%, an open-circuit voltage (VOC) of 0.694 V, and a current density (JSC) of 13.67 mA/cm2. This substantial improvement in performance can primarily be attributed to the presence of a σ-hole, which facilitates a robust interaction between the electrolyte and the dyes anchored on the TiO2 substrate. This interaction optimizes the critical dye regeneration process within the DSSCs, ultimately leading to the observed enhancement in efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sultan A. Al-horaibi
- Department of Chemistry, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad 431004, India
| | - Abdel-Basit Al-Odayni
- Department of Restorative Dental Science, College of Dentistry, King Saud University, P.O. Box 60169, Riyadh 11545, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed ALSaeedy
- Department of Chemistry, Maulana Azad of Arts, Science and Commerce, Aurangabad 431004, India
| | | | - Adel Al-Salihy
- MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Abdulmajeed Alezzy
- Chemistry Department, Dr. Rafiq Zakaria Centre for Higher Learning and Advance Research, Dr. BAM University, Aurangabad 431001, India
| | - Arwa Al-Adhreai
- Department of Chemistry, Maulana Azad of Arts, Science and Commerce, Aurangabad 431004, India
| | - Faizaa A. Saif
- Microwave Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad 431004, India
| | - Salama A. Yaseen
- Microwave Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad 431004, India
| | - Waseem Sharaf Saeed
- Department of Restorative Dental Science, College of Dentistry, King Saud University, P.O. Box 60169, Riyadh 11545, Saudi Arabia
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4
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Li QY, Kaur R, Meador WE, Roy JK, Leszczynski J, Delcamp JH. Fused Double Donor Design with a Cross-Conjugated Dibenzosilin for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:29234-29246. [PMID: 37599963 PMCID: PMC10433491 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c02571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) can provide a clean energy solution to growing energy demands. In order to have devices of high performance, sensitizers that are able to absorb in the near-infrared region (NIR) are needed. Stronger electron donors are needed for intramolecular charge-transfer sensitizers to access longer wavelength photons. Thus, two novel organic dyes with a cross-conjugated dibenzosilin double donor design are studied herein. The double donor delocalizes multiple filled orbitals across both amine donors due to the fused design that planarizes the donor as observed computationally, which improves intramolecular charge-transfer strength. The dyes are studied via density functional theory (DFT), optical spectroscopy, electrochemistry, and in DSC devices. The studies indicate that the dye design can reduce recombination losses, allowing for improved DSC device performances relative to a single arylamine donor. The reduction in recombination losses is attributed to the six alkyl chains that are incorporated into the donor, which offer good surface protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Yun Li
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Mississippi, 322 Coulter Hall, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| | - Ravinder Kaur
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Mississippi, 322 Coulter Hall, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| | - William E. Meador
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Mississippi, 322 Coulter Hall, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
| | - Juganta K. Roy
- Interdisciplinary
Center for Nanotoxicity, Department of Chemistry, Physics and Atmospheric
Sciences, Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi 39217, United States
| | - Jerzy Leszczynski
- Interdisciplinary
Center for Nanotoxicity, Department of Chemistry, Physics and Atmospheric
Sciences, Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi 39217, United States
| | - Jared H. Delcamp
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Mississippi, 322 Coulter Hall, University, Mississippi 38677, United States
- Materials
and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force
Research Laboratory, 2230 Tenth Street, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 45433, United States
- UES
Inc., 4401 Dayton-Xenia
Road, Dayton, Ohio 45432, United States
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