Design, synthesis, and performance evaluation of TiO2-dye sensitized solar cells using 2,2′-bithiophene-based co-sensitizers
We report on the synthesis and characterization of six novel 2,2′-bithiophene-based organic compounds ( 3a–c and 5a–c ) that are designed to serve as co-sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on TiO 2 . The compounds are linked to various donor and acceptor groups, and we confirm t...
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Published in | Scientific reports Vol. 13; no. 1; p. 13825 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
London
Nature Publishing Group UK
24.08.2023
Nature Publishing Group Nature Portfolio |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | We report on the synthesis and characterization of six novel 2,2′-bithiophene-based organic compounds (
3a–c
and
5a–c
) that are designed to serve as co-sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on TiO
2
. The compounds are linked to various donor and acceptor groups, and we confirm their chemical structures through spectral analyses. Our focus is on enhancing the performance of metal based
N3
, and the compounds were designed to operate at the nanoscale. We performed absorption and fluorescence emission measurements in dimethylformamide (DMF), where one of our compounds
5a
exhibited the longest maximum absorption and maximum emission wavelengths, indicating the significant impact of the para methoxy group as a strong electron-donating group. Our dyes
5a + N3
(η = 7.42%) and
5c + N3
(η = 6.57%) outperformed
N3
(η = 6.16%) alone, where the values of short current density (
J
SC
) and open circuit voltage (
V
OC
) for these two systems also improved. We also investigated the charge transfer resistance at the TiO
2
/dye/electrolyte interface using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), which is important in the context of nanotechnology. According to the Nyquist plot, the
5a + N3
cocktail exhibited the lowest recombination rate, resulting in the highest
V
OC
. Our theoretical calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) are also in agreement with the experimental process. These findings suggest that our compounds have great potential as efficient DSSC co-sensitizers. This study provides valuable insights into the design and synthesis of new organic compounds for use as co-sensitizers in DSSCs based on TiO
2
and highlights the potential of these compounds for use in efficient solar energy conversion. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 2045-2322 2045-2322 |
DOI: | 10.1038/s41598-023-40830-1 |