A new Ruthenium(II) sensitizer with anchored hydrazide ligand for enhanced electron injection in dye sensitized solar cell application

Abstract

This work highlights the synthesis ofnew Ruthenium(II) sensitizer (RNIHFB) constructed with Nicotinic hydrazide as ligand and characterized by various analytical and spectroscopic techniques. Coordination mode of the ligand (NIHFBA=(E)-4-((2-nicotinoyl hydrazono)methyl)benzoic acid) was explored by vibrational spectra in which the ligand serves as bidentate to ruthenium central metal ion. HOMO, LUMO and molecular structures of the NIHFBA and RNIHFB were optimized using quantum chemical calculation. Acid group (–COOH) present in the NIHFBA acts both as anchoring unit and as a good electron acceptor and has excellent electron-withdrawing capability. The sensitizer has small energy gap 2.180 eV and high thermal stability up to 284 °C. Dye containing bi-anchoring groups shows better electronic coupling with TiO2 than mono anchoring group. The new RNIHFB fabricated DSSC uttered a general photoconversion competence (η) of 4.17% with Voc of 0.88 V.