Metal Organic Framework Solar Cells: A New Class of Sensitized Light Harvesting Devices

Abstract

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are comprised of bidentate linker scaffolds and metal/metal clusters nodes oriented into a porous, three-dimensional, crystalline networks. Modification of MOFs either through incorporation or encapsulation of molecular light-harvesters impart photo-activity through the generation of molecular excited states. Excited state chemistry in MOFs has been utilized for sensing, photo-catalytic, and photovoltaic applications. Herein, we report the fabrication of MOF-sensitized solar cells (MOFSCs) and compare their photovoltaic properties to an analogous dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) construct. Importantly, we report the first MOFSC that outperforms a traditional DSSC, solidifying MOFSCs as a promising platform for photovoltaic assemblies. The structure of the modified MOFs and their energy transfer properties are explored in detail and these results are correlated to solar cell efficiency. Through these correlations, we have uncovered vital structure–function relationships for the development of future MOFSCs.