Optimization of Multiple Electron Donor and Acceptor in Carbazole-Triphenylamine-Based Molecules for Application of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Abstract

Organic dyes have been synthesized which containing multiple electron donors (carbazole) and electron acceptors (rhodaniline-3-acetic acid) on triphenylamine (TPA). Photophysical, electrochemical, and theoretical computational methods have categorized these compounds. Nanocrystalline TiO2-based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are fabricated using these dye molecules as light-harvesting sensitizers. The overall efficiency of sensitized cells is high (4.64%) as compared to a cis-di(thiocyanato)-bis(2,2′-bipyridyl)-4,4′-dicarboxylate ruthenium(II) (N3 dye)-sensitized device (7.83%) fabricated and measured under the same conditions. Both electron donor (carbazole) and acceptor (rhodaniline-3-acetic acid) play a key role in the increased efficiency. One carbazole and two rhodaniline-3-acetic acid-based dye appears to help convey the charge transfer from the excited dye molecules to the conduction band of TiO2, leading to a higher efficiency of the assembled devices using such a dye. Electrochemical impedance measurements support this dye’s effect on enhancing charge transfer of TiO2 (e−). Computation on this CTPAR2 compound also indicates a larger charge transfer efficiency in the electronically excited state.

Novel improvements in the sensitizers of dye-sensitized solar cells for enhancement in efficiency-a review

“…Yang et al synthesized a new type of sensitizers with multiple electron donors and carbazole and rhodaniline-3-acetic acid as electron acceptor on triphenylamine. The assembled device with the aforementioned sensitizers showed an efficiency of about 4.64%; both the electron donor and acceptor played a key role in improving the efficiency by efficiently transferring the electron from the charged dye molecule to the conduction band of TiO 2 [72]. Indoline has also been studied as donor moiety for organic dyes; Matsui et al designed a new indoline dye namely GU104 for the zinc oxide-based DSSC in which two rhodamineacceptors was attached to the indoline moiety with p-phenylene spacer in the presence of cholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid or lithocholic acid.…”

Bipodal dyes with bichromic triphenylamine architectures for use in dye-sensitized solar cell applications

“…In addition, incorporation of a second redox-active TPA units seeks to address panchromatic absorption, charge separation and redox robustness within the organic dye motif while creating a D-p-D-p-A dye system. While multi-donor triarylamine systems have been previously reported, 24,25 these systems are typically characterized by extensive synthesis and large dye hydrodynamic volumes that can lead to decreased dye loading on the semiconductor surface; however, there have been a family of bipodal dyes reported, that show promising dye architectures. [26][27][28][29] Herein, we present the physicochemical behaviour of a novel family of bichromic/bipodal dyes and offer a rigorous theoretical hypothesis as to why these various dye architectures have signicantly better device performance when compared to L1 (in our hands).…”

Three‐photon absorption properties of a novel symmetrical Carbazole derivative having terminal 1,10‐phenanthroline rings via carbon–nitrogen (C = N) double bond

“…Recently, π‐conjugated carbazole derivatives of the general type D‐π‐D, D‐π‐A‐π‐D, and A‐π‐D‐π‐A, where D and A denote electron donating and accepting groups, have been studied in 2PA properties by many researchers . However, 3PA related properties of π‐conjugated carbazole derivatives have never been studied up to date, especially, nonlinear optical properties.…”