Novel heteroleptic ruthenium complexes for dye sensitized solar cells

• Synthesis of a novel Ru(II) sensitizer [Ru(dcbH2)(bpy)(9AA)Cl]2+.
• Engineering of heteroleptic ruthenium complexes.
• Electron injection into TiO2 and adequate light-into-electricity conversion.

A new heteroleptic complex, [Ru(dcbH2)(bpy)(9AA)Cl]2+, Ru-9AA (9AA = 9-aminoacridine), was synthesized, characterized and used along with the previously synthesized [Ru(dcbH2)(bpy)(TCNE)Cl], Ru-TCNE (TCNE = tetracyanoethylene), in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The photoelectrochemical data were evaluated in comparison to the standard [Ru(dcbH2)2(NCS)2] dye, N3. DSCs sensitized by these compounds exhibit overall efficiency conversion of 0.95 and 2.82% for Ru-9AA and Ru-TCNE, respectively, while that for N3 is 5.65% in the same condition. In spite of presenting lower global efficiencies than the standard dye, the Ru-TCNE complex present adequate electron injection efficiency and convert light into electricity effectively.

The NSC− free, heteroleptic ruthenium complexes, Ru(dcbH2)(bpy)(9AA)Cl]2+ and [Ru(dcbH2)(bpy)(TCNE)Cl], were used in TiO2 dye-sensitized solar cells and their performance analyzed. The new engineered compounds present, in particular Ru-TCNE, adequate electron injection efficiency and convert light into electricity effectively, although with lower global efficiencies than the standard [Ru(dcbH2)2(NCS)2] complex, N3.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide