A Dinuclear Ruthenium Dye for Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

A novel dinuclear type, highly conjugated ligand based ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complex of KO-20 synthesized in our laboratories, and constructed dye sensitized solar cell showed an overall conversion efficiency of η: 6.58 and IPCE: 65%. Extension of the conjugation and double ruthenium center improved the molar absorption coefficient ε = 35000 l · mol^–1 · cm^–1 at λ = 524 nm. Photovoltaic performances and absorbance spectra are found to be identical to the conjugated fluorenyl ruthenium(II) polypyridyl (BDF) complex reported by Grätzel et al. It is concluded that the conjugation extension/variation onto the core of ruthenium(II) bipyridyl sensitizer, create significant differences on photovoltaic performances.