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Issue 5, 2011
From the journal:

Energy & Environmental Science

Energy levels, charge injection, charge recombination and dye regeneration dynamics for donor–acceptor π-conjugated organic dyes in mesoscopic TiO2 sensitized solar cells†

Miquel Planells,a   Laia Pellejà,a   John N. Clifford,a   Mariachiara Pastore,b   Filippo De Angelis,*b   Núria López,a   Seth R. Marderc  and  Emilio Palomares*ad  

* Corresponding authors

a Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), Avda. Països Catalans 16, Tarragona, Spain
E-mail: epalomares@iciq.es
Fax: +34 977 920 241
Tel: +34 977 920 223

b Istituto CNR di Scienze e Tecnologie Moleculari (ISTM-CNR), Università di Perugia, c/o Dipartimento di Chimica, Via Elce di Sotto, Perugia, Italy
E-mail: filippo@thch.unipg.it
Fax: +39 075 585 5606
Tel: +39 075 585 5522

c School of Chemistry & Biochemistry and Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, GA, USA

d ICREA, Avda. Lluís Companys 28, Barcelona, Spain

Abstract

Two new D–π–A type organic sensitizers, MP124 and MP-I-50, were synthesized and their electrochemical and spectroscopic properties studied. Efficiencies of DSSC devices utilizing these dyes were also investigated, where sensitization solvent, sensitization time and additive concentration were all varied. Under standard AM 1.5G simulated solar radiation, optimized MP124 devices show an efficiency of 7.45% (Voc = 0.73 V; Jsc = 14.44 mA cm−2; FF = 70%) while optimized MP-I-50 devices show an efficiency of 5.66% (Voc = 0.68 V; Jsc = 12.06 mA cm−2; FF = 69%). Transient absorption spectroscopy studies show that regeneration of dye cations by the red-ox electrolyte was more efficient in MP124cells which is attributed to its higher HOMO energy leading to greater driving force for the regeneration reaction. Transient photovoltage studies showed that electron lifetimes were longer lived in MP124 explaining the higher Voc for these cells compared to MP-I-50cells. DFT and MP2 calculations indicate that this is due to the greater tendency of MP-I-50 to form charge-transfer complexes with the I2 species in the electrolyte, due to the presence of an additional EDOT in its structure compared to MP124. This work highlights the effect that small changes to the sensitizer structure can have on the interfacial charge transfer reactions and ultimately on the device efficiency.

Graphical abstract: Energy levels, charge injection, charge recombination and dye regeneration dynamics for donor–acceptor π-conjugated organic dyes in mesoscopic TiO2 sensitized solar cells

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Article information

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1039/C1EE01060C
Article type
Paper
Submitted
18 Jan 2011
Accepted
04 Mar 2011
First published
31 Mar 2011

Energy Environ. Sci., 2011,4, 1820-1829

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Energy levels, charge injection, charge recombination and dye regeneration dynamics for donor–acceptor π-conjugated organic dyes in mesoscopic TiO2 sensitized solar cells

M. Planells, L. Pellejà, J. N. Clifford, M. Pastore, F. De Angelis, N. López, S. R. Marder and E. Palomares, Energy Environ. Sci., 2011, 4, 1820 DOI: 10.1039/C1EE01060C

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