title: Molecular Engineering of Potent Sensitizers for Very Efficient Light Harvesting in Thin-Film Solid-State Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.
abstract: Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have shown significant potential for indoor and building-integrated photovoltaic applications. Herein we present three new D-A-π-A organic sensitizers, XY1, XY2, and XY3, that exhibit high molar extinction coefficients and a broad absorption range. Molecular modifications of these dyes, featuring a benzothiadiazole (BTZ) auxiliary acceptor, were achieved by introducing a thiophene heterocycle as well as by shifting the position of BTZ on the conjugated bridge. The ensuing high molar absorption coefficients enabled the fabrication of highly efficient thin-film solid-state DSSCs with only 1.3 μm mesoporous TiO2 layer. XY2 with a molar extinction coefficient of 6.66 × 10(4) M(-1) cm(-1) at 578 nm led to the best photovoltaic performance of 7.51%.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Institute of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology , 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China.|Laboratoire de Photoniques et Interfaces, Institut des Sciences et Ingénierie Chimiques, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , Station 6, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Xiaoyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Institute of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology , 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China.
authors.forename: Yaoyao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Photoniques et Interfaces, Institut des Sciences et Ingénierie Chimiques, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , Station 6, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Photoniques et Interfaces, Institut des Sciences et Ingénierie Chimiques, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , Station 6, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schreier
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Photoniques et Interfaces, Institut des Sciences et Ingénierie Chimiques, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , Station 6, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Norman
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pellet
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh , King's Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3FJ, U.K.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Photoniques et Interfaces, Institut des Sciences et Ingénierie Chimiques, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , Station 6, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Chenyi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh , King's Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3FJ, U.K.
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Institute of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology , 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China.
authors.forename: Jianli
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Photoniques et Interfaces, Institut des Sciences et Ingénierie Chimiques, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , Station 6, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Shaik M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Zakeeruddin
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Institute of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology , 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China.
authors.forename: He
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Photoniques et Interfaces, Institut des Sciences et Ingénierie Chimiques, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , Station 6, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grätzel