Abstract
New ruthenium(II) complexes havening phenylphosphonic acid group were incorporated in tin(II) dioxide and the materials were tested as photoelectrochemical modules. / New materials for dye-sensitized solar cells were incorporated and tested with success in sandwich type regenerative photoelectrochemical modules. A transition metal complex with two terpy ligands previously synthesized in our laboratory, [(2,2':6',2"-terpyridine-4-iodophenyl)(2,2':6',2"-terpyridine-4'-phenylphosphonic acid)-ruthenium(II)]dichloride, has sensitized transparent thin nanostructured SnO2 film electrodes obtained by a doctor blade technique.
A solvent-free composite polymer electrolyte consisting of high-molecular mass poly(ethylene) oxide filled with titania and containing LiI and I-2 was introduced in order to transport the current of the cell at the counter electrode. Under white light illumination, the cell produced a continuous photocurrent as high as 0.63 mA cm(-2) and a photovoltage of about 290 mV.
The obtained IPCE (16 %) and energy conversion values (0.1 %) were similar to the corresponding values found with the standard N3 dye under the same conditions.