Novel Fluorous Amphiphilic Heteroleptic Ru-Based Complexes for a Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell: The First Fluorous Bis-ponytailed Amphiphilic Ru Complexes

A new series of amphiphilic heteroleptic ruthenium(II) sensitizers with a fluorous bis-ponytailed bipyridine ancillary ligand, [Ru(H(2)dcbpy)(4,4'-bis(RfCH2OCH2)-2,2'-bpy)(NCS)(2)] [where R-f = HCF2CF2 (CT4), C3F7 (CT7), and HCF2CF2CF2CF2 (CT8)], have been synthesized and fully characterized by UV/vis, visible emission, NMR, fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry, and cyclic voltammetric studies. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) based on these dyes exhibit efficiencies comparable with that of the standard cell based on N719. The conversion efficiency of a CT7- or CT8-based DSC is similar to 9% higher than that of Z907 with a nonfluorous bis-ponytailed bipyridine ancillary ligand. The fluorous chains were found to increase the dye density on TiO2 and to help to suppress the dye desorption.