Synthesis and characterization of trivalent metal porphyrin with NCS ligand for application in dye-sensitized solar cells

Two novel trivalent metal porphyrin dyes, PMn-HT-SCN and PGa-HT-SCN, were designed, synthesized and firstly applied in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). These two dyes possess porphyrin donor modified with manganese (III) and gallium (III) as coordination metal and NCS as the second ligand, cyanoacrylic acid as electron-accepting moiety and 4-hexylthiophene as π-spacers. Each of the porphyrin showed different adsorption behavior and saturated coverage on the TiO2 surface. Between the two dyes, the PMn-HT-SCN-based DSSCs afforded the best photovoltaic performance: a short-circuit photocurrent density (Jsc) of 4.32 mA/cm2, an open-circuit photovoltage (Voc) of 0.61 V and a fill factor (FF) of 0.58, corresponding to a solar-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 1.53% under 100 mW/cm2 irradiation.

Graphical AbstractFigure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slideResearch highlights
► Two novel trivalent metal porphyrin dyes were synthesized and applied in dye-sensitized solar cells.
► The trivalent metal porphyrin with NCS ligand dyes exhibit red-shifted and broader absorption but lower molar extinction coefficients compared with that of porphyrin compound.
► The three-dimensional structures of the dyes reduce the interaction between the dyes and the TiO2 surface, and lower the adsorbed amounts on the TiO2 film.