Simple molecular structure but high efficiency: Achieving over 9% efficiency in dye-sensitized solar cells using simple triphenylamine sensitizer

Abstract

The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) based on a sensitizer with a conjugated rhodanine (CRD) electron acceptor is increased by two times as compared with DSSC based on a sensitizer with nonconjugated rhodanine-3-acetic acid in our previous work. Herein, alkyl chain engineering is further introduced into the N position of the CRD electron acceptor to inhibit the intermolecular aggregation and electron recombination utilizing the tunable alkyl chains as the barrier layer. Finally, the PCE of DSSC based on sensitizer with CRD electron acceptor is further improved, and an unexpected PCE of 9.02% is achieved using a simple triphenylamine sensitizer based on CRD electron acceptor with suitable alkyl chain.