Dye sensitised solar cells based on ruthenium porphyrins

  • Klaudia Wagner, University of Wollongong, Australia
  • Dr Ying Dong, Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, University of Wollongong, Australia
  • Dr Pawel Wagner, ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Australia
  • Assoc Prof Peter Innis, Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, University of Wollongong, Australia
  • Dr Gordon Wallace, ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Australia
  • Dr David Officer, ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Australia

    • For over ten years, we have been synthesising porphyrins and investigating their potential as light harvesting dyes in the dye sensitised solar cell (DSSC). The syntheses of porphyrins that we have developed have allowed us to systematically vary the porphyrin chromophore by substitution (R), metallation (M) or array formation, as well as the linker and binding group. This approach has led recently to the design of the highest efficiency zinc porphyrin dye (7%) used in a DSSC. Other metallated porphyrins such as ruthenium porphyrins are of interest given their ability to act as triplet sensitizers. Therefore, we have synthesized a number of ruthenium porphyrins with conjugated binding groups and investigated their potential as light harvesting materials for DSSCs.