Near-IR photoresponse of ruthenium dipyrrinate terpyridine sensitizers in the dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract

Coordination of bidentate 5-pentafluorophenyldipyrrinate (pfpdp) or 5-(2-thienyl)dipyrrinate (2-tdp) to a RuII center bearing 2,2:6,2″-terpyridine-4,4,4″-tricarboxylate (tctpy) and a NCS - ligand results in strongly light-absorbing complexes [Ru(tctpy)(L)(NCS)] (L = pfpdp or 2-tdp). Anchored to a mesoporous TiO 2 electrode, these complexes afford a photoaction spectral response at wavelengths of up to 950 nm, one of the most red-shifted values reported to date for molecular dyes in the dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). © 2014 American Chemical Society.