Investigation of organic solar cells with highly porous 3D-titania aerogel sensitization, optical and electrochemical properties of metal-free porphyrin dyes with 3-methyl-4-hydroxy phenyl functionality

Abstract

An anchoring group is necessary for linking dye and photoanode as an array. The inter-electron transfer between the layers produces the photoelectron when it is exciting. The introduction of a novel 3-methyl-4-hydroxy phenyl anchoring group to the porphyrin periphery and its potential use in organic solar cell (OSC) applications were addressed. The bare dyes are soaked with a titania aerogel photoanode. FT-IR, UV–visible, and CV spectral analyses further study the electron transfer mechanism at the TA/dye interfaces. The 3-methyl-4-hydroxy phenyl anchor's two attachment points to the titania aerogel (TA) surface were validated by FT-IR at 1630 and 1400 cm−1. The spectrum broadening and band shift after TA adsorption show the dyes' electronic coupling and aggregation features. In order to provide more insights into the kinetics of electron transfer, the exact HOMO and LUMO energy levels are estimated, and the energy level diagram compares the conductance of TA and electrolyte potential. The 3-methyl-4-hydroxy phenyl anchor was used to demonstrate the ability of the dye/TA photoanode to generate an electrical current as an OSC device. The effects of the subsequent change in photocurrent on the number of anchoring groups in the metal-free porphyrin system are studied.