Cyclopentadithiophene bridged donor-acceptor dyes achieve high power conversion efficiencies in dye-sensitized solar cells based on the tris-cobalt bipyridine redox couple

Abstract

Good Co-op: A novel cyclopentadithiophene-bridged donor-acceptor dye applied as sensitizer in mesoscopic dye-sensitized solar cells, in conjunction with the cobalt complexes [CoII(bpy)3](B(CN) 4)2 and [CoIII(bpy)3](B(CN) 4)3 as redox couple, yields high power conversion efficiencies (up to 9.6 %) under standard AM 1.5G solar irradiation. The results confirm that cobalt complexes are legitimate alternatives to the commonly used I-/I3- redox shuttle when used with judiciously engineered organic sensitizers. © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.