Cyclometallated Ru Complexes as Sensitizers for Dye-sensitized Solar Cells

  • Takashi Funaki, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan
  • Dr Masatoshi Yanagida, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan
  • Dr Nobuko Onozawa-Komatsuzaki, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan
  • Dr Yuji Kawanishi, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan
  • Dr Kazuyuki Kasuga, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan
  • Dr Kazuhiro Sayama, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan
  • Mr Mitsuhiko Kurashige, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan
  • Dr Hideki Sugihara, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan

    • Dye-sesitized solar cells have been extesively investigated during the past decade. Many efforts have been carried out on the development of photosensitizers in order to improve the efficiency, the most well-known sensitizers are N719 and black dye. Solar energy of over ca. 850nm is not effectively converted even by using black dye. Development of sensitizers with extended absorption and spectral sensitivitiy into the infrared region is expected. Replacing a nitrogen donor atom by a carbon atom in a multidentate ligand containing pyridin rings dramatically changes its electronic properties and cyclometallation itself has a strong effect on the photophysical properties of the resulting complexes. We have synthesized new type of cyclomatallated ruthenium compounds , Ru(tctpy)(L1)(L2) (tctpy = 4,4’,4”-tricarboxy-2,2’:6’,2”-terpyridine, L1 = a bidentate ligand, L2 = an anionic monodentate ligand) and applied them as photosensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells. The MLCT absorption maxima of these complexes are ca. 740-900 nm and these complexes functioned as effective photosensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells. Details of experiments will be presented.

    *This work was supported by the Incorporated Administrative Agency New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) under Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).