Photo-induced electron transfer study of D-π-A sensitizers with different type of anchoring groups for dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract

A new D-π-A organic dye HY102 with a lateral anchoring group and two reference dyes HY102-1 (using cyanoacrylic acid as an electron acceptor and the anchoring group) and HY102-2 (containing both cyanoacrylic acid and lateral carboxylic acid) have been synthesized. The optical and electrochemical test results from the three different styles of photosensitizers show that the excited electrons of the novel dye HY102 with lateral carboxylic acid group most probably are injected into the CB of TiO₂ through the electron acceptor moiety close to the TiO₂ surface by spatial transfer, not through the lateral anchoring group of the carboxylic acid. Research into the photo-induced electron transfer of the novel sensitizers with lateral anchoring system is reasonable and crucial for further improving efficiencies by modifying the molecular structures.