Selenorhodamine Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: Influence of Structure and Surface-Anchoring Mode on Aggregation, Persistence, and Photoelectrochemical Performance

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• 作者：Mark W. Kryman ; Justin N. Nasca ; David F. Watson ; Michael R. Detty
• 刊名：Langmuir
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：February 16, 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：32
• 期：6
• 页码：1521-1532
• 全文大小：656K
• ISSN：1520-5827

文摘

A library of six selenorhodamine dyes (4-Se–9-Se) were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated as photosensitizers of TiO₂ in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The dyes were constructed around either a bis(julolidyl)- or bis(half-julolidyl)-modified selenoxanthylium core functionalized at the 9-position with a thienyl group bearing a carboxylic, hydroxamic, or phosphonic acid for attachment to TiO₂. Absorption bands of solvated dyes 4-Se–9-Se were red-shifted relative to the dimethylamino analogues. The dyes adsorbed to TiO₂ as mixtures of monomeric and H-aggregated dyes, which exhibited broadened absorption spectra and increased light-harvesting efficiencies relative to the solvated monomeric dyes. Carboxylic acid-bearing dyes 4-Se and 7-Se initially exhibited the highest incident photon-to-current efficiencies (IPCEs) of 65–80% under monochromatic illumination, but the dyes desorbed rapidly from TiO₂ into solutions of HCl (0.1 M) in a CH₃CN:H₂O mixed solvent (120:1 v:v). The hydroxamic acid- and phosphonic acid-bearing dyes 5-Se, 6-Se, 8-Se, and 9-Se exhibited lower IPCEs (49–65%) immediately after preparation of DSSCs; however, the dyes were vastly more inert on TiO₂, and IPCEs decreased only minimally with successive measurements under constant illumination. Power-conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of the selenorhodamine-derived DSSCs were less than 1%, probably due to inefficient regeneration of the dyes following electron injection. For a given anchoring group, the bis(half-julolidyl) dyes exhibited higher open-circuit photovoltages and PCEs than the corresponding bis(julolidyl) dyes. The hydroxamic acid- and phosphonic acid-bearing dyes are intriguing photosensitizers of TiO₂ in light of their aggregation-induced spectral broadening, high monochromatic IPCEs, and relative inertness to desorption into acidic media.