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Sensitization of TiO(2) by Phosphonate-Derivatized Proline Assemblies
Scott A. Trammell1, John A. Moss, John C. Yang
1Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB# 3290, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290.
Inorganic Chemistry
|October 24, 2001
Summary
Proline assemblies on ITO and TiO(2) show surface coverages comparable to monolayers. However, their photovoltaic performance, measured by incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE), is significantly lower than related ruthenium complexes.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Photovoltaics
Background:
- Ruthenium complexes with bipyridine ligands are widely studied for their photoelectrochemical properties.
- Proline-based assemblies offer potential for novel functional materials in surface science.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the surface electrochemical and photoelectrochemical properties of two proline assemblies.
- To compare their performance in Grätzel-type photovoltaic cells with established ruthenium complexes.
Main Methods:
- Surface coverage measurements on Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) and Titanium Dioxide (TiO(2)).
- Electrochemical and photoelectrochemical characterization.
- Fabrication and testing of Grätzel-type photovoltaic cells.
Main Results:
- Surface coverages for Pbp-pra(Ru(II)b(2)m)-OH(PF(6))(2) and Bpb-pra(Ru(II)b(2)m)-OCH(3)(CF(3)CO(2))(2) on ITO were (1.5-2.4) x 10(-10) mol/cm(2), similar to monolayer coverages.
- Incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) values were 2% and <0.1% for the proline assemblies.
- Comparative IPCE values for [Ru(bpy)(2)(4,4'-(CO(2)H)(2)bpy)](PF(6))(2) and [Ru(bpy)(2)(4,4'-(PO(3)H(2))(2)bpy)](Br)(2) reached 23% under identical conditions.
Conclusions:
- Subtle structural differences in proline assemblies significantly impact their photoelectrochemical performance.
- The studied proline assemblies exhibit considerably lower photovoltaic efficiency compared to benchmark ruthenium complexes.