Benzoporphyrins: Selective Co-sensitization in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

A novel class of dyes, namely benzoporphyrins, was synthesized and implemented into dye-sensitized solar cells. They feature complementary absorptions compared to N719, which renders them promising candidates for co-sensitization in DSSCs. Notably, metallated benzoporphyrins reveal a TiO2-nanoparticle attachment that is size and aggregation dependent. Therefore, unproductive energy-transfer events between the selectively attached dyes can be prevented. In light of the latter, an efficiency improvement of 39% has been achieved upon selective adsorption of benzoporphyrins and N719 onto different layers of TiO2 photoelectrode.