Two polymeric metal complexes based on polycarbazole containing complexes of 8-hydroxyquinoline with Zn(II) and Ni(II) in the backbone: Synthesis, characterization and photovoltaic applications

Two novel polymeric metal complexes PZn(Q)2–C and PNi(Q)2–C based on polycarbazole containing complexes of 8-hydroxyquinoline with Zn(II) and Ni(II) were synthesized and applied in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) as photosensitizers. They possess moderate thermal stability and good open-circuit voltages, and the power conversion efficiency of them reached to 1.11% and 0.45%, respectively, under simulated AM 1.5 G solar irradiation (100 mW cm−2), which shows a new strategy to design photosensitizers for DSSCs.

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► We have synthesized two photosensitizers of D–π–A polymeric metal complexes.
► The polymeric metal complexes possess excellent thermal stability and good open-circuit voltages.
► The application of the photosensitizers in dye-sensitized solar cells was investigated.
► The polymeric metal complex containing d10 Zn(II) exhibited better device performance than that containing low spin d8 Ni(II).