Synthesis of organic dye containing an alkylenesulfanyl-bridged bithienyl π-linker and its use in dye-sensitized solar cells

• A novel organic dye bearing a unique and flexible alkylenesulfanyl-bridged bithienyl bridging framework between the donor and acceptor units was synthesized.
• The new dye exhibited an enhanced photocurrent, because of redshifted optical absorption and reduced interfacial recombination.
• The new dye displayed better photovoltaic performance than an analogue containing a rigid dithienothiophene bridge.

The synthesis and photovoltaic characteristics of a new organic dye, CU-L2, which has a unique and flexible alkylenesulfanyl-bridged bithienyl bridging framework between the phenylamino donor unit and cyanoacrylic acceptor unit, were demonstrated. CU-L2 exhibited better photovoltaic performance, with an enhanced photocurrent due to the redshifted optical absorption and reduced interfacial recombination, as compared to CU-L1, with its rigid dithienothiophene bridging motif between the same donor and acceptor units. The dye-sensitized solar cell fabricated with CU-L2 under optimized processing conditions presented a high power conversion efficiency of 6.63%.

A new organic dye, CU-L2, bearing a unique and flexible alkylenesulfanyl-bridged bithienyl bridging framework between the donor and acceptor units was synthesized and evaluated in the photovoltaic characteristics for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC).Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide