Enhanced dye-sensitized solar cell photocurrent and efficiency using a Y-shaped, pyrazine-containing heteroaromatic sensitizer linkage

Watson, Brian L.; Sherman, Benjamin D.; Moore, Ana L.; Moore, Thomas A.; Gust, Devens

doi:10.1039/c5cp00860c

Enhanced dye-sensitized solar cell photocurrent and efficiency using a Y-shaped, pyrazine-containing heteroaromatic sensitizer linkage

Journal Article · Mon May 18 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/c5cp00860c· OSTI ID:1385942

Watson, Brian L. ^[1]; Sherman, Benjamin D. ^[1]; Moore, Ana L. ^[1]; Moore, Thomas A. ^[1]; Gust, Devens ^[1]

Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States)

A new sensitizer motif for dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC) has been developed. A heteroaromatic moiety containing a pyrazine ring links two porphyrin chromophores to the metal oxide surface via two carboxylic acid attachment groups. A test DSSC sensitized with the new molecule was 3.5 times more efficient than a similar cell sensitized by a single porphyrin model compound. The open circuit photovoltage was increased by a modest factor of 1.3, but the photocurrent increased by a factor of 2.7. Most of the increase is attributed to a reduced rate of charge recombination of the charge separated state formed by photoinduced electron transfer from the excited sensitizer to the TiO₂, although some of the difference is due to increased light absorption resulting from more dye on the photoanode. Increased light absorption due to the pyrazine-containing group may also play a role. The design illustrated here could also be used to link complementary sensitizers or antenna moieties in order to increase spectral coverage.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Center for Bio-Inspired Solar Fuel Production (BISfuel)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0001016

OSTI ID:: 1385942

Journal Information:: Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP, Journal Name: Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP Journal Issue: 24 Vol. 17; ISSN 1463-9076

Publisher:: Royal Society of ChemistryCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Effect of “push–pull” sensitizers with modified conjugation bridges on the performance of p-type dye-sensitized solar cells Zhang, Fengying; Yu, Pei; Shen, Wei RSC Advances, Vol. 5, Issue 79 https://doi.org/10.1039/c5ra09263a	journal	January 2015
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Synthesis of dipyrrolopyrazine-based sensitizers with a new π-bridge end-capped donor–acceptor framework for DSSCs: a combined experimental and theoretical investigation Meti, Puttavva; Nagaraju, Goli; Yang, Jung-Won New Journal of Chemistry, Vol. 43, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1039/c8nj06083e	journal	January 2019
Recent developments in pyrazine functionalized π-conjugated materials for optoelectronic applications Meti, Puttavva; Park, Hyung-Ha; Gong, Young-Dae Journal of Materials Chemistry C, Vol. 8, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1039/c9tc05014k	journal	January 2020
Effect of the second chromophore energy gap on photo-induced electron injection in di-chromophoric porphyrin-sensitized solar cells Zhao, Long Royal Society Open Science, Vol. 5, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.181218	journal	September 2018

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Enhanced dye-sensitized solar cell photocurrent and efficiency using a Y-shaped, pyrazine-containing heteroaromatic sensitizer linkage

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