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Bartkowiak A, Korolevych O, Gierczyk B, Pelczarski D, Bossi A, Klein M, Popenda Ł, Stampor W, Makowska-Janusik M, Zalas M. The importance of anchoring ligands of binuclear sensitizers on electron transfer processes and photovoltaic action in dye-sensitized solar cells. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16808. [PMID: 37798349 PMCID: PMC10556067 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44015-8] [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: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The relatively low photon-to-current conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells is their major drawback limiting widespread application. Light harvesting, followed by a series of electron transfer processes, is the critical step in photocurrent generation. An in-depth understanding and fine optimization of those processes are crucial to enhance cell performance. In this work, we synthesize two new bi-ruthenium sensitizers with extended anchoring ligands to gain insight into underlying processes determining photovoltaic action mechanisms. The structure of the compounds has been confirmed, and their properties have been thoroughly examined by various techniques such as NMR, IR, elemental analysis UV-Vis, cyclic voltammetry, and electroabsorption. The experimental characterization has been supported and developed via extensive quantum-chemical calculations, giving a broad view of the presented molecules' properties. Finally, the DSSC devices have been assembled utilizing obtained dyes. The photovoltaic and EIS measurements, combined with performed calculations and fundamental dyes characterization, unraveled an intramolecular electron transfer as an initial step of the electron injection process at the dye/semiconductor interface. The overall photovoltaic action mechanism has been discussed. Our study demonstrates the significance of the anchoring group architecture in the molecular design of new sensitizers for DSSC applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Bartkowiak
- Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, 8 Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego Str., 61-614, Poznań, Poland
- Department of Chemistry, University of Milan, Via Golgi 19, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Oleksandr Korolevych
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Jan Dlugosz University, Al. Armii Krajowej 13/15, 42-200, Czestochowa, Poland
| | - Błażej Gierczyk
- Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, 8 Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego Str., 61-614, Poznań, Poland
| | - Daniel Pelczarski
- Department of Molecular Photophysics, Institute of Applied Physics and Mathematics, Gdańsk University of Technology, 11/12 Narutowicza Str., 80-233, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Alberto Bossi
- Instituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Cimiche "Giulio Natta" - CNR, Via Fantoli 16/15, 20138, Milan, Italy
| | - Maciej Klein
- School of Electrical Engineering and Robotics, Faculty of Engineering, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Gardens Point, Brisbane, QLD, 4001, Australia
| | - Łukasz Popenda
- NanoBioMedical Centre, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, 3 Wszechnicy Piastowskiej Str., 61-614, Poznań, Poland
| | - Waldemar Stampor
- Department of Molecular Photophysics, Institute of Applied Physics and Mathematics, Gdańsk University of Technology, 11/12 Narutowicza Str., 80-233, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Malgorzata Makowska-Janusik
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Jan Dlugosz University, Al. Armii Krajowej 13/15, 42-200, Czestochowa, Poland
| | - Maciej Zalas
- Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, 8 Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego Str., 61-614, Poznań, Poland.
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Abdellah IM, El-Shafei A. Efficiency enhancement of ruthenium-based DSSCs employing A-π-D-π-A organic Co-sensitizers. RSC Adv 2020; 10:27940-27953. [PMID: 35685026 PMCID: PMC9127656 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra03916k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
A new bipyridyl Ru(ii) sensitizer incorporating triphenylamine and the 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) ancillary ligand IMA5 was synthesized for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The performance of these DSSCs has been enhanced via di-anchoring metal-free organic sensitizers, denoted IMA1-4, with structural motif A-π-D-π-A and incorporating phenyl-dibenzothiophene-phenyl (Ph-DBT-Ph) as the main building block but with different anchoring groups (A). These new organic sensitizers were well-characterized and used as efficient co-sensitizers. Their photophysical, electrochemical and photovoltaic properties were studied. Furthermore, molecular modeling studies using DFT calculations were used to investigate their suitability as effective sensitizers/co-sensitizers. The molecular orbital isodensity showed distinguishable delocalization of the intramolecular charge in the DBT moiety. The photovoltaic characterization showed that IMA3 had the best DSSC performance (η = 2.41%). In addition, IMA1-4 was co-sensitized in conjunction with the newly synthesized IMA5 complex to enhance light harvesting across expanded spectral regions and thus improve efficiency. The solar cells co-sensitized with IMA2, IMA3 and IMA4 exhibited improved efficiency (η) of 6.25, 6.19 and 5.83%, respectively, which outperformed the device employing IMA5 alone (η = 5.54%) owing to the improvement in the loading of IMA2, IMA3 and IMA4 in the presence of IMA5 on the surface of the TiO2 nanoparticles, and charge recombination was suppressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Islam M Abdellah
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Aswan University Aswan 81528 Egypt
| | - Ahmed El-Shafei
- Polymer and Color Chemistry Program, North Carolina State University Raleigh 27606 USA
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Lavrova MA, Mishurinskiy SA, Smirnov DE, Kalle P, Krivogina EV, Kozyukhin SA, Emets VV, Mariasina SS, Dolzhenko VD, Bezzubov SI. Cyclometalated Ru(ii) complexes with tunable redox and optical properties for dye-sensitized solar cells. Dalton Trans 2020; 49:16935-16945. [DOI: 10.1039/d0dt03564e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Cyclometalated Ru(ii) complexes with 2-arylbenzimidazoles demonstrate enhanced light-harvesting properties and good characteristics in dye-sensitized solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Daniil E. Smirnov
- Lomonosov Moscow State University
- Moscow
- Russia
- N.S. Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry
- Russian Academy of Sciences
| | - Paulina Kalle
- Lomonosov Moscow State University
- Moscow
- Russia
- N.S. Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry
- Russian Academy of Sciences
| | - Ekaterina V. Krivogina
- N.S. Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry
- Russian Academy of Sciences
- Moscow 119991
- Russia
| | - Sergey A. Kozyukhin
- N.S. Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry
- Russian Academy of Sciences
- Moscow 119991
- Russia
| | - Viktor V. Emets
- Frumkin Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry
- Russian Academy of Sciences
- Moscow 119071
- Russia
| | | | - Vladimir D. Dolzhenko
- Lomonosov Moscow State University
- Moscow
- Russia
- N. D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry
- Russian Academy of Sciences
| | - Stanislav I. Bezzubov
- N.S. Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry
- Russian Academy of Sciences
- Moscow 119991
- Russia
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