Influence of azo dye structure on photovoltaic characteristics of dye sensitized solar cells

Abstract

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC), as a main competitor to a silicon solar cells, present a new technology which has been in constant development for two decades. In this paper, six azo dyes based on benzoic and cinnammic acid moiety, which represent a generators of charge carriers, have been synthesized. Compounds were characterized by melting point, UV-Vis, FT-IR, 1 H i 13C NMR spectroscopy. Current density-voltage curves were recorded in order to determine basic DSSC operating parameters, i.e. short-circuit current density (Jsc) and open-circuit voltage (Voc). Based on the obtained resultes, 4-(2-hydroxynaphthalenazo)cinnamic acid and 4-[4’-(N,N-dimethylamino)phenylazo)- -cinnamic acid have shown the most significant energy conversion efficiency (η) [1,2].