A double co-sensitization strategy using heteroleptic transition metal ferrocenyl dithiocarbamate phenanthrolene-dione for enhancing the performance of N719-based DSSCs. Issue 43 (3rd October 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Singh, Amita; Srivastava, Devyani; Gosavi, Suresh W.; Chauhan, Ratna; Ashokkumar, Muthupandian; Albalwi, Awad Naseer; Muddassir, Mohd.; Kumar, Abhinav
• Is Part Of: RSC advances. Volume 12:Issue 43(2022)
• Page Start: 28088
• Page End: 28097
• Publication Date: 2022-10-03
• Subjects: Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540.5
• DOI: 10.1039/d2ra05601a
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2046-2069

Abstract

Abstract : Three new ferrocene appended heteroleptic dithiocarbamate complexes have been synthesized and used as sensitizers/co-sensitizers in DSSCs. Abstract : Three new heteroleptic dithiocarbamate complexes with formula [M(Phen-dione)(Fcdtc)]PF6 (where M = Ni(ii ) Ni-Fc, Cu(ii ) Cu-Fc) and [Co(Phen-dione)(Fcdtc)2 ]PF6 (Co-Fc) (Fcdtc = N -ethanol- N -methylferrocene dithiocarbamate and Phen-dione = 1, 10-phenanthroline-5, 6-dione; PF6 − = hexafluorophosphate) were synthesized and characterized using microanalysis, FTIR, electronic absorption spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The solution state electronic absorption spectroscopy for all three complexes displayed a band at ∼430 nm corresponding to the ferrocene unit and another low-intensity band in the visible region arising because of the d–d transitions. These newly synthesized complexes were used as co-sensitizers for the state-of-the-art di-tetrabutylammonium cis -bis(isothiocyanato)bis(2, 2′-bipyridyl-4, 4′-dicarboxylato)ruthenium(ii ) (N719) dye in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Among the three co-sensitizers/co-adsorbent-based DSSC set-ups, the assembly fabricated using Co-Fc/N719 displayed good photovoltaic performance with 5.31% efficiency ( η ) while a new triple component strategy inculcating N719, Co-Fc and Cu-Fc dyes offered the best photovoltaic performance with 6.05% efficiency ( η ) with incident photon to current conversion efficiency (IPCE) of 63%. This indicated an upliftment of the DSSC performance by ∼38% in comparison to the set-up constructed by employing only N719 dye ( η = 4.39%) under similar experimental conditions.