title: Highly soluble energy relay dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells.
abstract: High solubility is a requirement for energy relay dyes (ERDs) to absorb a large portion of incident light and significantly improve the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Two benzonitrile-soluble ERDs, BL302 and BL315, were synthesized, characterized, and resulted in a 65% increase in the efficiency of TT1-sensitized DSSCs. The high solubility (180 mM) of these ERDs allows for absorption of over 95% of incident light at their peak wavelength. The overall power conversion efficiency of DSSCs with BL302 and BL315 was found to be limited by their energy transfer efficiency of approximately 70%. Losses due to large pore size, dynamic collisional quenching of the ERD, energy transfer to desorbed sensitizing dyes and static quenching by complex formation were investigated and it was found that a majority of the losses are caused by the formation of statically quenched ERDs in solution.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, McCullough Building, 476 Lomita Mall, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: George Y
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Margulis
authors.forename: Bogyu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Brian E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Hardin
authors.forename: Eva L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Unger
authors.forename: Jun-Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yum
authors.forename: Johann M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Feckl
authors.forename: Dina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fattakhova-Rohlfing
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bein
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grätzel
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sellinger
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: McGehee
mesh_terms: D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009570:Nitriles / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D012993:Solar Energy; D012995:Solubility
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D009570:Nitriles; C014356:benzonitrile