Issue 43, 2020

Metal-free efficient dye-sensitized solar cells based on thioalkylated bithiophenyl organic dyes

Abstract

A series of new metal-free organic dyes based on 3,3′-dithioalkyl-2,2′-bithiophene (SBT) organic chromophores was synthesized for use in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Because S(alkyl)⋯S(thiophene) intermolecular interlocking renders the twist angle in the structure as <1°, the SBT core is almost flat, as evidenced by the single crystal, optical, and electrochemical data. Through structural modification of SBT π-linkers with different alkyl chains and conjugated thiophene units, significant chromophore aggregation and interfacial charge recombination can be inhibited. Among all the dyes synthesized, the optimized dye (having a high extinction coefficient of 1.3 × 104 cm−1 M−1 at 497 nm) with the co-adsorbent chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) reached a power conversion efficiency (η) of 9.46% under 1 sun (AM 1.5 G, 100 mW cm−2). After 1000 h of testing under 1 sun, a solar cell made with this dye and the co-adsorbent CDCA still maintained 88% of its initial efficiency, compared to 69% for a cell made with N719 dye. Moreover, when tested under a T5 fluorescent lamp of 2400 lux, the η of this dye with CDCA was 12.34%.

Graphical abstract: Metal-free efficient dye-sensitized solar cells based on thioalkylated bithiophenyl organic dyes

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
13 5月 2020
Accepted
12 8月 2020
First published
13 8月 2020

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2020,8, 15322-15330

Metal-free efficient dye-sensitized solar cells based on thioalkylated bithiophenyl organic dyes

F. Lin, P. Priyanka, M. Fan, S. Vegiraju, J. Ni, Y. Wu, Y. Li, G. Lee, Y. Ezhumalai, R. Jeng, M. Chen and K. Ho, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2020, 8, 15322 DOI: 10.1039/D0TC02310H

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements