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A novel Ru (II) complex with high absorbance coefficient: efficient sensitizer for dye-sensitized solar cells

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Abstract

In this paper, a new sensitizer, Ru(4,4′-dicarboxy(phenylethenyl)-2,2′-bipyridine) (4,4′-bis(2-(4-tert-butyloxyphenyl) ethenyl)-2,2′–bipyridine) (NCS)2 with high absorbance coefficient denoting AJ-01, is introduced and its application in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is investigated. The synthesized dye was characterized via various analytical methods, such as 1HNMR, 13CNMR, and UV–vis spectroscopic methods, and finally, it was utilized as a visible-light sensitizer in DSSCs. The AJ-01 photovoltaic performances were compared with that of N-719 as a commonly used sensitizer and were evaluated under similar conditions. UV–Vis absorption spectra for the AJ-01 sensitizer were also showed that the molar extinction coefficients much higher than the N-719 sensitizer at the peak wavelengths of the new sensitizer. Furthermore, Ab initio calculations were used to clarify the electronic properties and the role of the anchoring ligands at the rate of electron transfer to TiO2. The photovoltaic parameters of the AJ-01 sensitizer cell show an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.764 V, short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 20.11 mA cm−2 and fill factor (F.F.) of 0.55, and a power conversion efficiency of 8.4%.

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Acknowledgements

We thankfully acknowledge the financial support of the Iran National Science Foundation (INSF) [research project 94013527] and the University of Isfahan. Also, the authors gratefully acknowledge the use of the services and facilities of the Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology at Sharif University of Technology. Also, the authors greatly thank Dr. Mohammadreza Elahifard, from the University of Ardakan, for his useful scientific guidance and insightful comments.

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This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Catalysis Division, Department of Chemistry, University of Isfahan, 81746-73441, Isfahan, Iran

    Arezoo Jamshidvand, Reza Keshavarzi, Valiollah Mirkhani, Majid Moghadam, Shahram Tangestaninejad, Iraj Mohammadpoor-Baltork, Niloufar Afzali, Javad Nematollahi & Mina Amini

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  1. Arezoo Jamshidvand
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  2. Reza Keshavarzi
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  3. Valiollah Mirkhani
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  4. Majid Moghadam
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Correspondence to Reza Keshavarzi or Valiollah Mirkhani.

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Jamshidvand, A., Keshavarzi, R., Mirkhani, V. et al. A novel Ru (II) complex with high absorbance coefficient: efficient sensitizer for dye-sensitized solar cells. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 32, 9345–9356 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-021-05598-y

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