title: Solid-state dye-sensitized TiO(2) solar cells based on a sensitizer covalently wired to a hole conducting polymer.
abstract: We report on the molecular wiring efficiency of a ruthenium polypyridine complex acting as a sensitizer connected to a poly(3-hexyl)thiophene chain acting as hole transporting material. We have developed an efficient synthetic strategy to covalently connect via an ethanyl spacer a regioregular poly(3-hexyl)thiophene chain to a ruthenium complex. Solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells were prepared either with the latter system or with a similar ruthenium sensitizer but lacking the polymer chain (reference system). The comparison of the photocurrent-photovoltage characteristics of the cells recorded under AM1.5 indicates a two fold improvement of the overall photoconversion efficiencies when the sensitizer is grafted to the hole transporting material (eta = 0.27%) relative to the reference system (eta = 0.13%). The higher photovoltaic performance can be attributed to the better diffusion-like propagation of the holes from the sensitizer to the counter electrode through the covalently linked polythiophene chain.
authors.affiliation: Université de Nantes, CEISAM, Chimie Et Interdisciplinarité, Synthèse, Analyse, Modélisation, UFR des Sciences et des Techniques, 2, rue de la Houssinière, BP 92208, 44322 NANTES, Cedex 3, France.
authors.forename: Coralie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Houarner-Rassin
authors.forename: Errol
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Blart
authors.forename: Pierrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Buvat
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Odobel