03453nas a2200253   4500008004100000022001400041245009600055210006900151260000800220300001600228490000800244520261200252653001102864653001002875653001302885653001702898100002802915700002702943700002202970700002602992700003003018700002703048856012403075       2023                        eng d  a1932-744700aSteric and electronic effect in unsymmetrical squaraine dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells0 aSteric and electronic effect in unsymmetrical squaraine dyes for  cNOV  a22473-224880 v1273 a<p>Functionalizing the light harvesting sensitizers with additional electron-donating or -withdrawing groups is a potential approach to modulate the photophysical and electrochemical properties which in-turn optimizes the driving force associated with the charge injection and dye-regeneration processes at the dye-TiO2/electrolyte interface and the photovoltaic device performance in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Furthermore, modulated electronic levels of the dyes provide an opportunity to reduce the overpotential associated with the dye-regeneration process and make the dye-TiO2 interface compatible with various electrolytes. Furthermore, an in-built steric feature by means of introducing linear/branched alkyl groups in the sensitizer is important in controlling the aggregation of dyes on the TiO2 surface. Hence, to integrate both steric and electronic properties, a series of alkyl group-wrapped unsymmetrical squaraine dyes (SQ-X) with electron-donating and -withdrawing groups have been designed, synthesized, and utilized for DSSC device fabrication. These dyes are functionalized with alkyl groups at both sp(3)-C and N-atoms of the indoline donor moiety at the nonanchoring side to have a similar steric feature. Photophysical and electrochemical studies revealed that the HOMO and LUMO energy levels of the SQ-X series of dyes have been modulated systematically with sufficient driving forces for both charge injection and dye-regeneration processes with iodolyte (I-/I-3(-)) electrolyte. In the presence of electron-donating groups in SQ-X (where X = -NPh2 and -OMe), the HOMO energy levels are less positive than SQ-H, whereas the presence of electron-withdrawing groups such as -CO2Me, -CN, and -NO2 pushed the HOMO energy levels toward more positive potentials. Enhanced photovoltaic performances have been obtained for the dyes containing electron-donating groups, where the dye with the -NPh2 group showed a maximum of eta 7.03% (V-OC 708 mV, J(SC) 13.16 mA cm(-2), and ff 78%). The dye with the strong electron-withdrawing group -NO2 showed an efficiency of 1.49% (V-OC = 634 mV, J(SC) = 3.13 mA cm(-2), and ff 75%). As the dyes with the electron-withdrawing group possess deep positive HOMO energy levels, the DSSC device characterization has been investigated with the Cu+/2+ redox shuttle. The reduced device performance of electron-withdrawing-group-containing dyes is due to the unfavored charge distribution in the LUMO compared to the presence of electron-donating-group-containing dyes, and it was supported by the difference in the charge injection efficiency.</p>
10acobalt10aDonor10aDynamics10aOrganic dyes1 aNawghare, Indrajeet, S.1 aSingh, Ambarish, Kumar1 aMaibam, Ashakiran1 aKrishnamurty, Sailaja1 aKrishnamoorthy, Kothandam1 aNithyanandhan, Jayaraj  uhttps://library.ncl.res.in/content/steric-and-electronic-effect-unsymmetrical-squaraine-dyes-dye-sensitized-solar-cells