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Ultrafast Photodynamics of the Indoline Dye D149 Adsorbed to Porous ZnO in Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells
Author(s) -
Rohwer Egmont,
Richter Christoph,
Heming Nadine,
Strauch Kerstin,
Litwinski Christian,
Nyokong Tebello,
Schlettwein Derck,
Schwoerer Heinrich
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
chemphyschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.016
H-Index - 140
eISSN - 1439-7641
pISSN - 1439-4235
DOI - 10.1002/cphc.201200715
Subject(s) - ultrafast laser spectroscopy , dye sensitized solar cell , chemistry , photochemistry , electrolyte , adsorption , acetonitrile , absorption (acoustics) , indoline , redox , spectroscopy , excited state , inorganic chemistry , electrode , materials science , organic chemistry , physics , quantum mechanics , nuclear physics , composite material
Abstract We investigate the ultrafast dynamics of the photoinduced electron transfer between surface‐adsorbed indoline D149 dye and porous ZnO as used in the working electrodes of dye‐sensitized solar cells. Transient absorption spectroscopy was conducted on the dye in solution, on solid state samples and for the latter in contact to a I − /I 3 − redox electrolyte typical for dye‐sensitized solar cells to elucidate the effect of each component in the observed dynamics. D149 in a solution of 1:1 acetonitrile and tert ‐butyl alcohol shows excited‐state lifetimes of 300±50 ps. This signature is severely quenched when D149 is adsorbed to ZnO, with the fastest component of the decay trace measured at 150±20 fs due to the charge‐transfer mechanism. Absorption bands of the oxidized dye molecule were investigated to determine regeneration times which are in excess of 1 ns. The addition of the redox electrolyte to the system results in faster regeneration times, of the order of 1 ns.