Highly Efficient Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Panchromatic Ruthenium Sensitizers with Quinolinylbipyridine Anchors

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie 2014-01, Vol.126 (1), p.182-187
• Main Authors: Chou, Chun-Cheng, Hu, Fa-Chun, Yeh, Hsiu-Hsuan, Wu, Hsin-Pei, Chi, Yun, Clifford, John N., Palomares, Emilio, Liu, Shih-Hung, Chou, Pi-Tai, Lee, Gene-Hsiang
• Format: Article
• Language: eng ; ger
• Subjects: Absorptivity; Agglomeration; Anchors; Chemistry; Chinoline; Differential scanning calorimetry; Dyes; N-Liganden; Panchromatische Sensibilisatoren; Ruthenium; Simulation; Solar energy; Solarzellen; Spectra
• ISSN: 0044-8249; 1521-3757
• DOI: 10.1002/ange.201305975

Panchromatic RuII sensitizers TF‐30–TF‐33 bearing a new class of 6‐quinolin‐8‐yl‐2,2′‐bipyridine anchor were synthesized and tested under AM1.5 G simulated solar irradiation. Their increased π conjugation relative to that of the traditional 2,2′:6′,2′′‐terpyridine‐based anchor led to a remarkable improvement in absorptivity across the whole UV–Vis–NIR spectral regime. Furthermore, the introduction of a bulky tert‐butyl substituent on the quinolinyl fragment not only led to an increase in the JSC value owing to the suppression of dye aggregation, but remarkably also resulted in no loss in VOC in comparison with the reference sensitizer containing a tricarboxyterpyridine anchor. The champion sensitizer in DSC devices was found to be TF‐32 with a performance of JSC=19.2 mA cm−2, VOC=740 mV, FF=0.72, and η=10.19 %. This 6‐quinolin‐8‐yl‐2,2′‐bipyridine anchor thus serves as a prototype for the next generation of RuII sensitizers with any tridentate ancillary. Die verstärkte π‐Konjugation bei panchromatischen RuII‐Sensibilisatoren vom Typ 1, die eine 6‐Chinolin‐8‐yl‐2,2′‐bipyridin‐ statt der klassischen 2,2′:6′,2′′‐Terpyridin‐Ankergruppe (Struktur 2) enthalten, führt zu einer bemerkenswerten Steigerung der Absorption über den gesamten UV/Vis/NIR‐Spektralbereich. Ein voluminöser tert‐Butylsubstituent am Chinolinylfragment unterdrückt die Aggregation der Farbstoffmoleküle und bewirkt so einen Anstieg des Kurzschlussstroms.