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Molecules
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Coordination Compounds in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
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Coordination Compounds in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Inorganic Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2023) | Viewed by 2229

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Catherine Housecroft

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Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Building 1095, Mattenstrasse 22, Postfach, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
Interests: light harvesting using inorganic coordination complexes as dyes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs); development of emissive complexes for application in light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs); water splitting and water oxidation catalysts; functional coordination polymers and networks; chemical education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The use of renewable energy is fundamental within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the United Nations Member States in 2015. Sustainable development goal (SDG) 7 focuses on "ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all" by 2030. This is only seven years away, and the urgency of our efforts towards this goal is obvious. Among the sustainable resources on Earth, solar energy provides an unlimited source of free energy which has the potential to meet global energy demands. Photoconversion using Grätzel-type dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) is well established as a technology, and state-of-the art DSCs use metal-free (organic) compounds or metal coordination compounds as dyes. The greatest emphasis has been on the development of n-type DSCs, and those sensitized with octahedral ruthenium(II) complexes or porphyrin- or phthalocyanine-based dyes containing zinc(II) achieve some of the highest photoconversion efficiencies. However, the development of dyes based on other metal coordination compounds is also an active area of interest, and the most notable are N-heterocyclic iron(II) and bis(diimine)copper(I) dyes, which have shown progress in the applications of dyes containing Earth-abundant metals. The role of metal coordination compounds in DSCs is not restricted to sensitizers. Although one of the most conventional redox shuttles is I3–/I–, coordination complexes containing redox-active metal centres have significant potential; Cu2+/Cu+ redox shuttles have drawn considerable attention because, when combined with appropriate dyes, they can lead to DSCs exhibiting open-circuit voltages (VOC) values greater than 1000 mV. Papers and reviews in all areas of the use of metal coordination compounds in DSCs, including p-type and tandem DSCs, are welcomed for this themed issue of Molecules.

Prof. Dr. Catherine Housecroft
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • solar energy
  • sustainable energy
  • dye-sensitized solar cells
  • metal coordination compound
  • sensitizer
  • redox shuttle

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

48 pages, 16435 KiB  
Review
Metal Complexes for Dye-Sensitized Photoelectrochemical Cells (DSPECs)
by Edoardo Marchini, Stefano Caramori and Stefano Carli
Molecules 2024, 29(2), 293; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29020293 - 05 Jan 2024
Viewed by 967
Abstract
Since Mallouk’s earliest contribution, dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical cells (DSPECs) have emerged as a promising class of photoelectrochemical devices capable of storing solar light into chemical bonds. This review primarily focuses on metal complexes outlining stabilization strategies and applications. The ubiquity and safety of water [...] Read more.
Since Mallouk’s earliest contribution, dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical cells (DSPECs) have emerged as a promising class of photoelectrochemical devices capable of storing solar light into chemical bonds. This review primarily focuses on metal complexes outlining stabilization strategies and applications. The ubiquity and safety of water have made its splitting an extensively studied reaction; here, we present some examples from the outset to recent advancements. Additionally, alternative oxidative pathways like HX splitting and organic reactions mediated by a redox shuttle are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coordination Compounds in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells)
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Graphical abstract

17 pages, 2377 KiB  
Review
Recent Investigations on the Use of Copper Complexes as Molecular Materials for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
by Francesco Fagnani, Alessia Colombo, Claudia Dragonetti and Dominique Roberto
Molecules 2024, 29(1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29010006 - 19 Dec 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 874
Abstract
Three decades ago, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) emerged as a route for harnessing the sun’s energy and converting it into electricity. Since then, an impressive amount of work has been devoted to improving the global photovoltaic efficiency of DSSCs, trying to optimize all [...] Read more.
Three decades ago, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) emerged as a route for harnessing the sun’s energy and converting it into electricity. Since then, an impressive amount of work has been devoted to improving the global photovoltaic efficiency of DSSCs, trying to optimize all components of the device. Up to now, the best efficiencies have usually been reached with ruthenium(II) photosensitizers, even if in the last few years many classes of organic compounds have shown record efficiencies. However, the future of DSSCs is stringently connected to the research and development of cheaper materials; in particular, the replacement of rare metals with abundant ones is an important topic in view of the long-term sustainability of DSSCs intended to replace the consolidated fossil-based technology. In this context, copper is a valid candidate, being both an alternative to ruthenium in the fabrication of photosensitizers and a material able to replace the common triiodide/iodide redox couple. Thus, recently, some research papers have confirmed the great potential of copper(I) coordination complexes as a cheap and convenient alternative to ruthenium dyes. Similarly, the use of copper compounds as electron transfer mediators for DSSCs can be an excellent way to solve the problems related to the more common I3−/I− redox couple. The goal of this mini-review is to report on the latest research devoted to the use of versatile copper complexes as photosensitizers and electron shuttles in DSSCs. The coverage, from 2022 up to now, illustrates the most recent studies on dye-sensitized solar cells based on copper complexes as molecular materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coordination Compounds in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells)
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