Ruthenium sensitizer with a thienylvinylbipyridyl ligand for dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract

A new ruthenium bipyridyl complex, coded as YX360, incorporating a conjugated thienylvinylbipyridyl ligand, cis-Ru(dtbpy)(dcbpy)(NCS)₂ [dtbpy = 4,4′-di(thienylvinyl)-2,2′-bipyridyl; dcbpy = 4,4′-dicarboxy-2,2′-bipyridyl], has been synthesized and studied as a dye in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The new dye is compared to its precursor N719, which is one of the best ruthenium-based sensitizers known so far. In the dye YX360 the lowest metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) band is red-shifted by 10 nm and the molar extinction coefficient is dramatically increased as compared to N719. The reason can largely be attributed to the introduction of the extended π-conjugation unit to the ruthenium complex. Correspondingly, the incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) spectra of solar cells containing the dye YX360 show relatively higher values in the plateau region and a wider absorption spectrum relative to those of the dye N719. The effect is most pronounced for thinner TiO₂ films, for which comparable overall conversion efficiencies were obtained. However, as the TiO₂ film thickness is increased, DSCs containing N719 show superior conversion efficiencies. Although YX360 typically renders better short-circuit currents, the open-circuit voltage is suppressed because of larger electron recombination losses at the TiO₂/dye/electrolyte interface. The results highlight that an extended aromatic ligand system in a sensitizing dye on the one hand improved light absorption, but on the other hand more efficiently loses photoelectrons through a recombination pathway via the dye to the electrolyte.