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Title: Visualizing interfacial charge transfer in dye sensitized nanoparticles using x-ray transient absorption spectroscopy.

Journal Article · · Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/jz200122r· OSTI ID:1050162

A molecular level understanding of the structural reorganization accompanying interfacial electron transfer is important for rational design of solar cells. Here we have applied XTA (X-ray transient absorption) spectroscopy to study transient structures in a heterogeneous interfacial system mimicking the charge separation process in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) with Ru(dcbpy){sub 2}(NCS){sub 2} (RuN3) dye adsorbed to TiO{sub 2} nanoparticle surfaces. The results show that the average Ru-NCS bond length reduces by 0.06 {angstrom}, whereas the average Ru-N(dcbpy) bond length remains nearly unchanged after the electron injection. The differences in bond-order change and steric hindrance between two types of ligands are attributed to their structural response in the charge separation. This study extends the application of XTA into optically opaque hybrid interfacial systems relevant to the solar energy conversion.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC); ERC
DOE Contract Number:
DE-AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
1050162
Report Number(s):
ANL/XSD/JA-67481; TRN: US201218%%515
Journal Information:
Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, Vol. 2, Issue 6; ISSN 1948-7185
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
ENGLISH