Panchromatic Trichromophoric Sensitizer for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Using Antenna Effect

The first trichromophoric sensitizer, consisting of covalently linked boradiazaindacene (BODIPY), zinc porphyrin (ZnP), and squaraine (SO) units, has been synthesized by Heck alkynylation to obtain a panchromatic dye, for dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Efficient intramolecular energy transfers (ET) were observed between all chromophoric subunits and enhance the overall conversion efficiency by 25%. The antenna effect is demonstrated by the photoaction spectrum which features all of a chromophore's absorption bands.