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Four organic donor-π-bridge-acceptor dyes containing phenothiazine as a spacer and cyanoacrylic acid as an acceptor were synthesized and tested as sensitizers in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The influence of iodide- and cobalt-based redox electrolytes on the photovoltaic device performance was investigated. In these new dyes, systematic π-conjugation was extended by inserting one or two phenothiazine moieties and investigated within the context of the resulting photoinduced charge-transfer properties. A detailed investigation, including transient absorption spectroscopy and quantum chemical methods, provided important information on the role of extended π-conjugation on the photophysical properties and photovoltaic device performance. Overall, the results showed that the extension of π-conjugation by one phenothiazine unit resulted in the best device performance owing to reduced recombination rates, whereas extension by two phenothiazine units reduced dye adsorption on TiO2 probably owing to the increase in molecular size. The performance of the dyes in DSCs was found to be a complex interaction between dye structure and size., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

We report on solid-state mesoscopic heterojunction solar cells employing nanoparticles (NPs) of methyl ammonium lead iodide (CH(3)NH(3))PbI(3) as light harvesters. The perovskite NPs were produced by reaction of methylammonium iodide with PbI(2) and deposited onto a submicron-thick mesoscopic TiO(2) film, whose pores were infiltrated with the hole-conductor spiro-MeOTAD. Illumination with standard AM-1.5 sunlight generated large photocurrents (J(SC)) exceeding 17 mA/cm(2), an open circuit photovoltage (V(OC)) of 0.888 V and a fill factor (FF) of 0.62 yielding a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 9.7%, the highest reported to date for such cells. Femto second laser studies combined with photo-induced absorption measurements showed charge separation to proceed via hole injection from the excited (CH(3)NH(3))PbI(3) NPs into the spiro-MeOTAD followed by electron transfer to the mesoscopic TiO(2) film. The use of a solid hole conductor dramatically improved the device stability compared to (CH(3)NH(3))PbI(3) -sensitized liquid junction cells.

Nanostructured TiO(2) hollow fibers have been prepared using natural cellulose fibers as a template. This cheap and easily processed material was used to produce highly porous photoanodes incorporated in dye-sensitized solar cells and exhibited remarkably enhanced electron transport properties compared to mesoscopic films made of spherical nanoparticles. Photoinjected electron lifetime, in particular, was multiplied by 3-4 in the fiber morphology, while the electron transport rate within the fibrous photoanaode was doubled. A nearly quantitative absorbed photon-to-electrical current conversion yield exceeding 95% was achieved upon excitation at 550 nm and a photovoltaic power conversion efficiency of 7.2% reached under simulated AM 1.5 (100 mW cm(-2)) solar illumination.

Efficient and stable mesoscopic dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) introducing a low-viscosity binary ionic liquid (1-propyl-3-methyl-imidazolium iodide (PMII) and 1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium tetracyanoborate (EMIB(CN)(4))) electrolyte in combination with a new high-molar-extinction-coefficient ruthenium complex, Ru(2,2'-bipyridine-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid)(4,4'-bis(2-(4-tert-butyloxy -phenyl)ethenyl) -2,2'-bipyridine) (NCS)(2), are demonstrated. The dependence of photovoltaic performance, charge transport and electron lifetime on the composition of the binary ionic-liquid electrolyte with different ratios of PMII/EMIB(CN)(4) were investigated by electrochemical impedance and photovoltage transient techniques. A photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 7.6 % was obtained under simulated full sunlight illumination, which is a record for solvent-free DSCs. These devices exhibit excellent stability at 80 degrees C in the dark or under visible-light soaking at 60 degrees C during 1000 h of accelerated tests.

Dye-sensitized nanocrystalline solar cells (DSC) have received considerable attention as a cost-effective alternative to conventional solar cells. One of the main factors that has hampered widespread practical use of DSC is the poor thermostability encountered so far with these devices. Here we show a DSC with unprecedented stable performance under both thermal stress and soaking with light, matching the durability criteria applied to silicon solar cells for outdoor applications. The cell uses the amphiphilic ruthenium sensitizer cis-RuLL'(SCN)(2) (L = 4,4'-dicarboxylic acid-2,2'-bipyridine, L' = 4,4'-dinonyl-2,2'-bipyridine) in conjunction with a quasi-solid-state polymer gel electrolyte, reaching an efficiency of >6% in full sunlight (air mass 1.5, 100 mW cm(-2)). A convenient and versatile new route is reported for the synthesis of the heteroleptic ruthenium complex, which plays a key role in achieving the high-temperature stability. Ultramicroelectrode voltammetric measurements show that the triiodide/iodide couple can perform charge transport freely in the polymer gel. The cell sustained heating for 1,000 h at 80 degrees C, maintaining 94% of its initial performance. The device also showed excellent stability under light soaking at 55 degrees C for 1,000 h in a solar simulator (100 mW cm(-2)) equipped with a ultraviolet filter. The present findings should foster widespread practical application of dye-sensitized solar cells.

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) have achieved impressive conversion efficiencies for solar energy of over 11% with an electrolyte that contains triiodide/iodide as a redox couple. Although triiodide/iodide redox couples work efficiently in DSCs, they suffer from two major disadvantages: electrolytes that contain triiodide/iodide corrode electrical contacts made of silver (which reduces the options for the scale up of DSCs to module size) and triiodide partially absorbs visible light. Here, we present a new disulfide/thiolate redox couple that has negligible absorption in the visible spectral range, a very attractive feature for flexible DSCs that use transparent conductors as current collectors. Using this novel, iodide-free redox electrolyte in conjunction with a sensitized heterojunction, we achieved an unprecedented efficiency of 6.4% under standard illumination test conditions. This novel redox couple offers a viable pathway to develop efficient DSCs with attractive properties for scale up and practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 7.4% power conversion efficiency at air mass (AM) 1.5 full sunlight was reached with a mesoscopic solar cell employing a new binary ionic liquid electrolyte composed of 1 -propyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide and 1 -ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tricyanomethanide in conjunction with the amphiphilic ruthenium complex NaRu(4-carboxylic acid-4'-carboxylate)(4,4'-dinonyl-2,2'-bipyridine)(NCS)2, coded as Z-9O7Na. Ultramicroelectrode voltammetric, nanosecond laser transient absorbance, and photovoltaic measurements show that a high iodide concentration is required for dye regeneration to compete efficiently with charge recombination. A surprisingly fast reductive quenching process is turned on in pure iodide melts. This channel is unproductive, explaining the lower photocurrents observed under these conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]