Thioalkyl-Functionalized Bithiophene (SBT)-Based Organic Sensitizers for High-Performance Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

A series of 3,3'-dithioalkyl-2,2'-bithiophene (SBT)-based organic chromophores were designed and developed for the use in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). By appropriate structural modification of the SBT π-linkers with different alkyl chains and conjugated thiophene units, chromophore aggregation and interfacial charge recombination could be suppressed to a remarkable degree. Single-crystal and optical/electrochemical data clearly show that the SBT core is nearly planar with the torsional angle <1°, likely via S(alkyl)···S(thiophene) intramolecular locks.

Synthesis and Characterization of Two-Photon Active Chromophores Based on Tetrathienoacene (TTA) and Dithienothiophene (DTT).

Three new donor-π-donor (D-π-D) tetrathienoacene (thieno[2',3':4,5]thieno[3,2-b]thieno[2,3-d]thiophene (TTA))-cored chromophores, end-functionalized with electron-donating triphenylamine (TPA) groups, were developed and characterized for their two-photon-related properties by using both nano- and femtosecond laser pulses as the probing tools. TTA-based chromophores exhibit stronger and more widely dispersed two-photon absorption (2PA) than those of dithienothiophene (DTT)-based congeners. As a consequence, the bithiophene-conjugated TTA chromophore exhibits the highest maximum 2PA cross-section value (up to 2500 GM) with good thermal stability, and thus, it is the best performing two-photon chromophore among the studied model compounds.

Metal-free tetrathienoacene sensitizers for high-performance dye-sensitized solar cells.

A new series of metal-free organic chromophores (TPA-TTAR-A (1), TPA-T-TTAR-A (2), TPA-TTAR-T-A (3), and TPA-T-TTAR-T-A (4)) are synthesized for application in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) based on a donor-π-bridge-acceptor (D-π-A) design. Here a simple triphenylamine (TPA) moiety serves as the electron donor, a cyanoacrylic acid as the electron acceptor and anchoring group, and a novel tetrathienoacene (TTA) as the π-bridge unit. Because of the extensively conjugated TTA π-bridge, these dyes exhibit high extinction coefficients (4.

A highly conjugated benzimidazole carbene-based ruthenium sensitizer for dye-sensitized solar cells.

A new type of carbene-based ruthenium sensitizer, CB104, with a highly conjugated ancillary ligand, diphenylvinylthiophene-substituted benzimidazolepyridine, was designed and developed for dye-sensitized solar cell applications. The influence of the thiophene antenna on the performance of the cell anchored with CB104 was investigated. Compared with the dye CBTR, the conjugated thiophene in the ancillary ligand of CB104 enhanced the molar extinction coefficient of the intraligand π-π* transition and the intensity of the lower energy metal-to-ligand charge-transfer band.