title: Functionalization of a ruthenium-diacetylide organometallic complex as a next-generation push-pull chromophore.
abstract: The design and preparation of an asymmetric ruthenium-diacetylide organometallic complex was successfully achieved to provide an original donor-π-[M]-π-acceptor architecture, in which [M] corresponds to the [Ru(dppe)2] (dppe: bisdiphenylphosphinoethane) metal fragment. The charge-transfer processes occurring upon photoexcitation of the push-pull metal-dialkynyl σ complex were investigated by combining experimental and theoretical data. The novel push-pull complex, appropriately end capped with an anchoring carboxylic acid function, was further adsorbed onto a semiconducting metal oxide porous thin film to serve as a photosensitizer in hybrid solar cells. The resulting photoactive material, when embedded in dye-sensitized solar cell devices, showed a good spectral response with a broad incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency profile and a power conversion efficiency that reached 7.3 %. Thus, this material paves the way to a new generation of organometallic chromophores for photovoltaic applications.
authors.affiliation: Université de Bordeaux, UMR-CNRS 5255 Institut des Sciences Moléculaires, 351 cours de la Libération, 33405 Talence (France).
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Sousa
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ducasse
authors.forename: Brice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kauffmann
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Toupance
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Olivier
keywords: electron transfer; organometallic compounds; ruthenium; sensitizers; solar cells