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 an inverse-design method to optimizing porphyrins in dye-sensitized solar cells

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have attracted much interest during the past few decades. However, it is still a tremendous challenge to identify organic molecules that give an optimal power conversion efficiency (PCE). Here, we apply our recently developed, inverse-design method for this issue with the special aim of identifying porphyrins with promisingly high PCE. It turns out that the calculations lead to the prediction of 15 new molecules with optimal performances and for which none so far has been studied. These porphyrin derivatives will in the near future be synthesized and subsequently tested experimentally. Our inverse-design approach, PooMa, is based on the strategy of providing suggestions for molecular systems with optimal properties. PooMa has been developed as a tool that requires minimal resources and, therefore, builds on various approximate methods. It uses genetic algorithm to screen thousands (or often more) of molecules. For each molecule, the density-functional tight-binding (DFTB) method is used for calculating the electronic properties. In the present work, five different electronic properties are determined, all of which are related to optical performance. Subsequently, a quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) model is constructed that can predict the PCE through those five electronic properties. Finally, we benchmark our results through more accurate DFT calculations that give further information on the predicted optimal molecules.

A theoretical study of fused thiophene modified anthracene-based organic dyes for dye-sensitized solar cell applications

As the fused-thiophene sizes increase, the main absorption peaks basically remain the same, but the oscillator strength increases and adsorption bands broaden.

Can fused-pyrrole rings act as better π-spacer units than fused-thiophene in dye-sensitized solar cells? A computational study

Fused-pyrrole rings can be potential π-spacers in dye-sensitized solar cells.

Density functional theory study of new azo dyes with different π-spacers for dye-sensitized solar cells

Some of new azo-based metal-free dyes with different π-conjugation spacers, such as carbazole, fluorene, pyrrole, thiophene, furan and thiazole, have been investigated with density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) calculations. Theoretical calculations allow us to quantify factors such as light harvesting efficiency (LHE), electron injection driving force (ΔG(inject)) and the weight of the LUMO orbital on the carboxylic group (QLUMO) related to the short-circuit photocurrent density (Jsc), and to evaluate both charge recombination between the semiconductor conduction band electrons and the oxidized dyes and/or electrolyte, and also the shift of the conduction band of the semiconductor as a result of the adsorption of the dyes onto the semiconductor surface, associated with the open-circuit photovoltage (Voc). According to the results, we could predict that how the π-conjugation spacers influence the Jsc as well as the Voc of DSSCs. Among these dyes, the carbazole and fluorene-based dyes (dyes 1 and 2) show the highest LHE, ΔG(inject), QLUMO, and the slowest recombination rate. Consequently, the obtained results show that the carbazole and fluorene-based dyes could have the better Jsc and Voc compared to the other dyes.

Can elongation of the π-system in triarylamine derived sensitizers with either benzothiadiazole and/or ortho-fluorophenyl moieties enrich their light harvesting efficiency? – a theoretical study

This study established that elongation of the π-system in a series of hypothetical triphenylamine dyes by the judicious placement either a fluorophenyl or benzothiadiazole group, or a combination of both groups, results in improved light harvesting efficiency in DSSCs.

Theoretical investigation of triphenylamine-based sensitizers with different π-spacers for DSSC

The molecular geometries, electronic structures, and absorption spectra of two organic dyes, 3-(5-(4-(IDB)phenyl)thiophene-2-yl)-2-cyanoacrylic acid (IDB-1), and 3-(5-(4-(IDB)styryl) thiophene-2-yl)-2-cyanoacrylic acid (IDB-2), before and after binding to TiO2 cluster were investigated by density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) methods to understand the effect of enhanced π-conjugation of organic dye on the energy-to-electricity conversion efficiency (η) of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), where, IDB=10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[b,f]azepin-5-yl. The introduction of vinyl unit into the π-spacer enhances the coplanarity and subsequently red-shifts, intensifies, and broadens the absorption spectrum of IDB-2, resulting in the stronger electronic coupling between dye and TiO2 conduction band, thus the more efficient electron transfer. From the theoretical evaluation of electron injection driving force (D), light-harvesting efficiency (LHE), and shift of TiO2 conduction band (ΔEcb), we successfully interpreted the experimentally observed efficiency difference between IDB-1 and IDB-2. Under this theoretical procedure, several novel D-π-A dyes namely IDB-3, IDB-4, and IDB-5, were designed. Our calculated results reveal that IDB-5 has the improved Jsc and Voc compared with IDB-2 because it performs nicely on the three key parameters (D, LHE, and ΔEcb). This work highlight the importance of using dimethyl-substituted cyclopentadithiophene group as π-spacer in achieving more efficient dyes for DSSC. We hope these discussions can provide fundamental guidelines for the optimization of existing cell efficiency as well as the design of novel high-efficiency organic dyes.

Theoretical investigation on structural and electronic properties of organic dye C258 on TiO2(101) surface in dye-sensitized solar cells

Electron gets directly transferred from the HOMO of C258 to the bottom conduction band of TiO₂ in bidentate bridging adsorption mode.

Understanding the electronic structures and absorption properties of porphyrin sensitizers YD2 and YD2-o-C8 for dye-sensitized solar cells

The electronic structures and excitation properties of dye sensitizers determine the photon-to-current conversion efficiency of dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). In order to understand the different performance of porphyrin dye sensitizers YD2 and YD2-o-C8 in DSSC, their geometries and electronic structures have been studied using density functional theory (DFT), and the electronic absorption properties have been investigated via time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) with polarizable continuum model for solvent effects. The geometrical parameters indicate that YD2 and YD2-o-C8 have similar conjugate length and charge transfer (CT) distance. According to the experimental spectra, the HSE06 functional in TDDFT is the most suitable functional for describing the Q and B absorption bands of porphyrins. The transition configurations and molecular orbital analysis suggest that the diarylamino groups are major chromophores for effective CT excitations (ECTE), and therefore act as electron donor in photon-induced electron injection in DSSCs. The analysis of excited states properties and the free energy changes for electron injection support that the better performance of YD2-o-C8 in DSSCs result from the more excited states with ECTE character and the larger absolute value of free energy change for electron injection.

The role of the conjugate bridge in electronic structures and related properties of tetrahydroquinoline for dye sensitized solar cells

To understand the role of the conjugate bridge in modifying the properties of organic dye sensitizers in solar cells, the computations of the geometries and electronic structures for 10 kinds of tetrahydroquinoline dyes were performed using density functional theory (DFT), and the electronic absorption and fluorescence properties were investigated via time dependent DFT. The population analysis, molecular orbital energies, radiative lifetimes, exciton binding energies (EBE), and light harvesting efficiencies (LHE), as well as the free energy changes of electron injection (ΔG^inject ) and dye regeneration ( ΔGdyeregen ) were also addressed. The correlation of charge populations and experimental open-circuit voltage (V_oc) indicates that more charges populated in acceptor groups correspond to larger V_oc. The elongating of conjugate bridge by thiophene units generates the larger oscillator strength, higher LHE, larger absolute value of ΔG^inject, and longer relative radiative lifetime, but it induces the decreasing of EBE and ΔGdyeregen. So the extending of conjugate bridge with thiopene units in organic dye is an effective way to increase the harvest of solar light, and it is also favorable for electron injection due to their larger ΔG^inject. While the inversely correlated relationship between EBE and LHE implies that the dyes with lower EBE produce more efficient light harvesting.

Photophysical and electrochemical properties, and molecular structures of organic dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on organic dyes adsorbed on oxide semiconductor electrodes, such as TiO(2), ZnO, or NiO, which have emerged as a new generation of sustainable photovoltaic devices, have attracted much attention from chemists, physicists, and engineers because of enormous scientific interest in not only their construction and operational principles, but also in their high incident-solar-light-to-electricity conversion efficiency and low cost of production. To develop high-performance DSSCs, it is important to create efficient organic dye sensitizers, which should be optimized for the photophysical and electrochemical properties of the dyes themselves, with molecular structures that provide good light-harvesting features, good electron communication between the dye and semiconductor electrode and between the dye and electrolyte, and to control the molecular orientation and arrangement of the dyes on a semiconductor surface. The aim of this Review is not to make a list of a number of organic dye sensitizers developed so far, but to provide a new direction in the epoch-making molecular design of organic dyes for high photovoltaic performance and long-term stability of DSSCs, based on the accumulated knowledge of their photophysical and electrochemical properties, and molecular structures of the organic dye sensitizers developed so far.

Acene-modified triphenylamine dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells: a computational study

A series of metal-free acene-modified triphenylamine dyes (benzene to pentacene, denoted as TPA-AC1 to TPA-AC5) are investigated as organic sensitizers for application in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). A combination of density functional theory (DFT), density functional tight-binding (DFTB), and time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) approaches is employed. The effects of acene units on the spectra and electrochemical properties of the acene-modified TPA organic dyes are demonstrated. The dye/(TiO(2))(46) anatase nanoparticle systems are also simulated to show the electronic structures at the interface. The results show that from TPA-AC1 to TPA-AC5 with increasing sizes of the acenes, the absorption and fluorescence spectra are systematically broadened and red-shifted, but the oscillator strength and electron injection properties are reduced. The molecular orbital contributions show increasing localization on the bridging acene units from TPA-AC1 to TPA-AC5. From the theoretical examination of some key parameters including free enthalpy related to the electron injection, light-harvesting efficiency, and the shift of semiconductor conduction band, TPA-AC3 with an anthracene moiety demonstrates a balance of the above crucial factors. TPA-AC3 is expected to be a promising dye with desirable energetic and spectroscopic parameters in the DSSC field, which is consistent with recent experimental work. This study is expected to deepen our understanding of TPA-based organic dyes and assist the molecular design of new metal-free dyes for the further optimization of DSSCs.