title: Efficient organic sensitizers with pyridine-N-oxide as an anchor group for dye-sensitized solar cells.
abstract: Five organic dyes with pyridine-N-oxide as the anchor group and electron acceptor have been synthesized and applied in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Benzothiadiazole was introduced in the conjugation system to increase the electron withdrawing properties, FTIR spectra showed that the coordination was between the pyridine-N-oxide and the Brønsted acid site on the TiO2 surface. The relationship between different dye structures and the performance of the DSSCs was investigated systematically. The location of the thiophene unit was studied, and the direct linkage of benzothiadiazole with pyridine-N-oxide was beneficial to broaden the absorption. The donor-acceptor-acceptor-configured dye WL307, which has 2-ethylhexyloxy chains in the donor part, showed the best efficiency of 6.08% under 100 mW cm(-2) light illumination. The dye series showed a fairly good stability during the one month test period.
authors: State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, DUT-KTH Joint Education and Research Centre on Molecular, Dalian University of Technology (DUT), 2 Linggong Rd., 116024 Dalian (P.R. China), Fax: (+86) 411-84986250.
authors: Lei
authors: L
authors: Wang
authors: Xichuan
authors: X
authors: Yang
authors: Jianghua
authors: J
authors: Zhao
authors: Fuguo
authors: F
authors: Zhang
authors: Xiuna
authors: X
authors: Wang
authors: Licheng
authors: L
authors: Sun
mesh_terms: D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D011211:Electric Power Supplies; D011725:Pyridines / Q000737:chemistry*; D012993:Solar Energy; D013876:Thiophenes / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D011725:Pyridines; D013876:Thiophenes; C013229:pyridine N-oxide
keywords: dyes/pigments; electrochemistry; photochemistry; sensitizers; structure-activity relationships