Hydroquinone redox mediator enhances the photovoltaic performances of chlorophyll-based bio-inspired solar cells.

Chlorophyll (Chl) derivatives have recently been proposed as photoactive materials in next-generation bio-inspired solar cells, because of their natural abundance, environmental friendliness, excellent photoelectric performance, and biodegradability. However, the intrinsic excitation dynamics of Chl derivatives remain unclear. Here, we show sub-nanosecond pump-probe time-resolved absorption spectroscopy of Chl derivatives both in solution and solid film states.