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Resonance Raman Study of New Pyrrole‐Anchoring Dyes for NiO‐Sensitized Solar Cells
Author(s) -
Summers Gareth H.,
Lowe Grace,
Lefebvre JeanFrançois,
Ngwerume Simbarashe,
Bräutigam Maximilian,
Dietzek Benjamin,
Camp Jason E.,
Gibson Elizabeth A.
Publication year - 2017
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.201600846
Subject(s) - anchoring , raman spectroscopy , non blocking i/o , photochemistry , materials science , dye sensitized solar cell , resonance raman spectroscopy , chemistry , nanotechnology , optics , catalysis , organic chemistry , electrode , physics , electrolyte , structural engineering , engineering
Abstract Three dyes for p ‐type dye‐sensitised solar cells containing a novel doubly anchored pyrrole donor group were synthesised and their solar cell performances were evaluated. Dye 1 was comprised of a phenyl–thiophene linker and a maleonitrile acceptor, which has been established as an effective motif in other push–pull dyes. Two boron dipyrromethane analogues, dyes 2 and 3 , were made with different linker groups to compare their effect on the behaviour of these dyes adsorbed onto nickel oxide (dye|NiO) under illumination. The photoexcited states of dye|NiO were probed using resonance Raman spectroscopy and compared to dyes anchored using the conventional 4‐aminobenzoic acid moiety ( P1 and 4 ). All three components, the anchor, the linker and the acceptor group were found to alter both the electronic structure following excitation and the overall solar cell performance. The bodipy acceptor gave a better performance than the maleonitrile acceptor when the pyrrole anchor was used, which is the opposite of the triphenylamine push–pull dyes. The linker group was found to have a large influence on the short‐circuit current and efficiency of the p ‐type cells constructed.