Charge separation and efficient light energy conversion in sensitized mesoscopic solar cells based on binary ionic liquids

A 7.4% power conversion efficiency at air mass (AM) 1.5 full sunlight was reached with a mesoscopic solar cell employing a new binary ionic liquid electrolyte composed of 1-propyl-3-methylimiclazoliurn iodide and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tricyanomethanide in conjunction with the amphiphilic ruthenium complex NaRu(4-carboxylic acid-4 '-carboxylate)(4,4 '-dinonyl-2,2 '-bipyridine)(NCS)(2), coded as Z-907Na. Ultramicroelectrode voltammetric, nanosecond laser transient absorbance, and photovoltaic measurements show that a high iodide concentration is required for dye regeneration to compete efficiently with charge recombination. A surprisingly fast reductive quenching process is turned on in pure iodide melts. This channel is unproductive, explaining the lower photocurrents observed under these conditions.