Novel triphenylamine-modified ruthenium(ii) terpyridine complexes for nickel oxide-based cathodic dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract

A pair of ruthenium based donor-π-chromophore sensitizers (K1 and K2) have been synthesized for use in NiO based p-type dye sensitized solar cells (p-DSCs). The optical and electrochemical properties of these dyes were determined experimentally and interpreted by DFT modelling. NiO p-DSC devices incorporating these dyes gave photocurrents of 2.9 for K1 and 2.0 mA cm⁻² for K2 (IPCE of 14% and 9%); this is a vast improvement on the photocurrents of p-DSC devices incorporating ‘traditional’ ruthenium sensitizers.