Solar cells sensitized with porphyrin dyes with a carbazole donor: The effects of an auxiliary benzothiadiazole acceptor and bulky substituents on the donor

Abstract Three porphyrin sensitizers XW54–XW56 containing a carbazole donor have been designed and synthesized by introducing a benzothiadiazole (BTD) unit as the auxiliary electron acceptor to extend the absorption spectra and/or bulky dihexyloxyphenyl groups into the carbazole unit to suppress dye aggregation and improve the photovoltage (Voc). The BTD unit incorporated in XW54 obviously broadens and red-shifts the absorption threshold to ca. 700 nm, as compared with that of 650 nm observed for XW1. Thus, XW54 exhibits a much broader monochromatic photon-to-electron conversion efficiency (IPCE) spectrum with an extremely red-shifted onset wavelength of 780 nm, resulting in a photocurrent density (Jsc) of 11.60 mA cm−2, higher than that of XW1. Unfortunately, the Voc value was decreased owing to the more severe dye aggregation caused by the large conjugation framework induced by the presence of the BTD unit. As a result, XW54 shows an efficiency of 6.26%, slightly higher than that of 6.11% obtained for XW1. On the other hand, with the bulky dihexyloxyphenyl donor groups introduced to XW55, a highest Voc of 860 mV was achieved, which can be ascribed to the efficient prevention of charge recombination and suppression of dye aggregation. Thus, XW55-based cells exhibit an improved efficiency of 6.60%. On the basis of XW54 and XW55, two bulky dihexyloxyphenyl groups and a BTD unit were simultaneously introduced to XW56, affording a highest efficiency of 7.03%, with the Jsc and Voc values of 12.5 mA cm−2 and 785 mV, respectively. These results compose a novel approach for developing efficient dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) by simultaneously introducing bulky dihexyloxyphenyl groups and a benzothiadiazole unit, which may synergistically broaden the absorption spectra and suppress the dye aggregation, resulting in improved photocurrent and photovoltage.