A strategy to design novel structure photochromic sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells

Two sensitizers with novel structure were designed and synthetized by introducing photochromic bisthienylethene (BTE) group into the conjugated system. Thanks to the photochromic effect the sensitizers have under ultraviolet and visible light, the conjugated bridge can be restructured and the resulting two photoisomers showed different behaviors in photovoltaic devices. This opens up a new research way for the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs).