Novel D-π-A system based on zinc porphyrin dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells: Synthesis, electrochemical, and photovoltaic properties

• Published in: Dyes and pigments Vol. 94; no. 1; pp. 143 - 149
• Main Authors: Seo, Kang Deuk, Lee, Myung Jun, Song, Hae Min, Kang, Hong Seok, Kim, Hwan Kyu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-07-2012
• Subjects: Charge recombination; Conversion; D-π-A system; Derivatives; Dye-sensitized solar cell; Dyes; Photovoltaic cells; Porphyrin; Porphyrins; Short-circuit photocurrent density; Solar cells; Synthesis; Triphenylamine electron-donating group; Zinc; Charge recombination; Dye-sensitized solar cell; Short-circuit photocurrent density; Porphyrin; D-π-A system; Triphenylamine electron-donating group
• ISSN: 0143-7208; 1873-3743
• DOI: 10.1016/j.dyepig.2011.12.006

We have designed and synthesized novel zinc porphyrin dyes which have a D-π-A system based on porphyrin derivatives containing a triphenylamine (TPA) electron-donating group and a phenyl carboxyl anchoring group substituted at the meso position of the porphyrin ring, yielding the push-pull porphyrins as the most efficient green dye for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) applications. The synthesis and characterization of a novel D-π-A system based on zinc-porphyrin derivatives have been investigated through their photophysical and photoelectrochemical studies. A large red-shift of the absorption maxima due to introduction of the TPA moiety at the meso position of the porphyrin ring was expected in the D-π-A porphyrins, but the absorption maxima of HKK-Por dyes were a little red-shifted in contrast to Zn[5,-10,15-triphenyl-20-(4-carboxylphenyl)-porphyrin], due to the tilted structure between TPA and the porphyrin unit. Under the photovoltaic performance measurement, the maximum incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) value of the DSSC based on HKK-Por 5 was slightly higher than the efficiencies of the DSSCs based on other HKK-Por dyes due to the introduction of the alkoxy group into the TPA moiety at the meso position of the porphyrin ring. A maximum photon-to-electron conversion efficiency of 3.36% was achieved with the DSSC based on HKK-Por 5 dye (JSC = 9.04 mA/cm2, VOC = 0.57 V, FF = 0.66) under AM1.5 irradiation (100 m Wcm−2).
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► Novel zinc porphyrin dyes with triphenylamine moieties was synthesized for DSSC. ► Hexyloxy-containing TPA moiety was introduced at the 15 position of the porphyrin. ► It increases the electron-donating ability of D-π-A system based on porphyrin dye. ► It also decreases the dye aggregation. ► A conversion efficiency of 3.36% was achieved with the DSSC based on HKK-Por 5 dye.