Premium
Thieno[3,4‐ b ]thiophene‐Based Organic Dyes for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells
Author(s) -
Chen YungChung,
Chou HsienHsin,
Tsai Ming Chih,
Chen ShengYu,
Lin Jiann T.,
Yao ChingFa,
Chen Kellen
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.201200012
Subject(s) - thiophene , dye sensitized solar cell , bathochromic shift , conjugated system , photochemistry , energy conversion efficiency , chemistry , organic solar cell , materials science , organic chemistry , polymer , fluorescence , optoelectronics , electrode , physics , quantum mechanics , electrolyte
New dipolar sensitizers containing an ethyl thieno[3,4‐ b ]thiophene‐2‐carboxylate (ETTC) entity in the conjugated spacer have been synthesized in two isomeric forms. These compounds were used as the sensitizers of n‐type dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The best conversion efficiency (5.31 %) reaches approximately 70 % of the N719‐based (7.41 %) DSSC fabricated and measured under similar conditions. The ETTC‐containing compounds exhibit a bathochromic shift of the absorption compared to their thiophene congeners due to the quinoid effect, however, charge‐trapping at the ester group of ETTC was found to jeopardize the electron injection and lower the cell efficiency. Charge trapping is alleviated as the ester group of ETTC is replaced with a hydrogen atom, as evidenced from the theoretical computation.