(D−π−A)3−Type metal-free organic dye for dye-sensitized solar cells application

Xiaoning Liao, Hai Zhang, Jianping Huang, Guoqiang Wu, Xiaoli Yin, Yanping Hong

Index: 10.1016/j.dyepig.2018.03.075

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Abstract

Three novel (D−π−A)3−type metal-free organic dyes (PTZTC1−3) along with a reference dye (RD−SC) bearing a mono D−π−A unit, comprising 4-positon substituted phenyl coupled with phenothiazine as a donor, thiophene as a π-conjugated linker and cyanoacrylic acid as an acceptor, were synthesized. The UV–Vis absorption spectra in solution and on TiO2 film, electrochemical redox potentials, and the photovoltaic parameters including incident monochromatic photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE), short-circuit current (Jsc), open-circuit voltage (Voc), maximum power conversion efficiency (η), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) of the corresponding dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were further explored. Among the DSSCs fabricated with these dyes, the PTZTC3 sensitized cell showed a η of 6.09% under standard global AM 1.5 solar condition (100 mW cm−2) owing to its relatively higher IPCE, higher Jsc, higher Voc and longer electron lifetime (τr).