The first application of water-soluble ruthenium phenanthroline complex for dye sensitized solar cells from aqueous solution using PEDOT:PSS counter electrode versus platinum counter electrode

WOS: 000324223200037Photovoltaic properties of Ru-II(4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline-disulfonic acid disodium salt)-bis(2,2'-bipyridine), [Ru(L1)(bpy)(2)](PF6)(2), [K403] related to its adsorption behaviour onto the nanoporous titanium oxide are investigated in association with its water-soluble structure thanks to disulfonic acid disodium salt groups. Dye sensitized solar cell is fabricated from aqueous solution of water-soluble ruthenium complex. Devices are fabricated in a sandwich geometry using PEDOT:PSS counter electrode versus platinum counter electrode. Poly(3,4-ethylendioxythiophene)-poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is coated on FTO conducting glass substrate by spin coating process and used as dye sensitized solar cell's counter electrode. Our device performance results show that PEDOT:PSS counter electrode in DSSC has reasonably good catalytic activity and can be used instead of platinum counter electrode. The energy conversion efficiency is significantly favourable for DSSC using PEDOT:PSS counter electrode. The optical and electrochemical behaviours of K403 are studied. Also cyclic voltammograms and estimated by density functional theory studies (DFT) are studied for calculating E-Homo and E-Lumo energy levels of ruthenium complex. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK)Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [110M803, 112M809]; Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH)Alexander von Humboldt FoundationWe acknowledge financial support from The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) (Grants: 110M803 and 112M809) in the framework of European Science Foundation (ESF-EUROCORES-EuroSolarFuels-10-FP-006), and Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH). I thank to MSc. Cagatay ELA for his unending support and valuable advices