Efficient Metal-Free Organic Sensitizers Containing Tetraphenylethylene Moieties in the Donor Part for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Two new propeller-shaped D-p-A organic sensitizers that contain two tetraphenylethylene (TPE) moieties in the donor part of the triphenylamine group have been designed and characterized. These dyes are composed of the same donor and acceptor units with different aromatic units introduced through linkers between the donor and acceptor units. The dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) based on LI-31 with 10 mM chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) show the best light-to-power conversion efficiency of 6.77?% (Jsc = 14.69 mA?cm2; Voc = 0.74 V; fill factor: ff = 0.62) under standard global AM 1.5 solar light conditions (100 mW?cm2).