The fossil fuels depletion puts the challenge to humanity to replace such energy sources with renewable and more ethic ones. The Sun could be considered a practically inexhaustible energy source on Earth whose light could be converted into electric energy exploiting the photovoltaic effect. In this context dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) could be an actual opportunity. This work is focused on copper complexes with 1,10-phenanthroline ligands as possible alternative mediators to the common I3-/I- redox couple which however suffers of some drawbacks. A rational study on the modulation of the electrochemical behavior of these copper complexes was performed in order to obtain useful information for their clever design; different substituents (varying their electronic and steric properties) placed in different positions on the phenanthroline scaffold were considered. Electrolytes containing the copper complexes were tested in dye-sensitized solar cells combining photoelectrochemical studies with fast pulsed laser experiments. The effect of iron polypyridine co-mediators was also considered. As an example we cite the significant performances obtained with the bulky asymmetric substituted bis-(2-mesitil-1,10-phenanthroline) copper hexafluorophosphate complex (see Figure) respect to the “benchmark” bis-neocuproine one.
Copper Complexes as Electron Mediators in DSSCs / M. Magni, C.A. Bignozzi, S. Caramori, A. Colombo, C. Dragonetti, P. Mussini, D. Roberto. ((Intervento presentato al 25. convegno Congresso Nazionale della Società Chimica Italiana tenutosi a Rende nel 2014.
Copper Complexes as Electron Mediators in DSSCs
M. Magni;A. Colombo;C. Dragonetti;P. Mussini;D. Roberto
2014
Abstract
The fossil fuels depletion puts the challenge to humanity to replace such energy sources with renewable and more ethic ones. The Sun could be considered a practically inexhaustible energy source on Earth whose light could be converted into electric energy exploiting the photovoltaic effect. In this context dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) could be an actual opportunity. This work is focused on copper complexes with 1,10-phenanthroline ligands as possible alternative mediators to the common I3-/I- redox couple which however suffers of some drawbacks. A rational study on the modulation of the electrochemical behavior of these copper complexes was performed in order to obtain useful information for their clever design; different substituents (varying their electronic and steric properties) placed in different positions on the phenanthroline scaffold were considered. Electrolytes containing the copper complexes were tested in dye-sensitized solar cells combining photoelectrochemical studies with fast pulsed laser experiments. The effect of iron polypyridine co-mediators was also considered. As an example we cite the significant performances obtained with the bulky asymmetric substituted bis-(2-mesitil-1,10-phenanthroline) copper hexafluorophosphate complex (see Figure) respect to the “benchmark” bis-neocuproine one.Pubblicazioni consigliate
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