Rapid synthesis of bis (2,2′-bipyridine) nitratocopper(II) nitrate using a hydrothermal method and its application to dye-sensitized solar cells

A TiO2 DSSC assembled with [Cu(bipy)2(NO3)]+ had a Voc of 0.346 V and a Jsc of 0.166 mA/cm2 at an incident light intensity of 100 mW/cm2. The power conversion efficiency of the TiO2/[Cu(bipy)2(NO3)]+ DSSC was 0.032%. Typically, to indicate the better optical conversion efficiency, compared to the LUMO energy levels in dye-complex, the conduction band in TiO2 should be low energy. However, the result calculated by the cyclic voltammetry is to show the opposite. Consequently, the photoelectric efficiency of TiO2/[Cu(bipy)2(NO3)]+ DSSC is eventually forced to lower.