Photophysical characteristics and photosensitizing abilities of thieno[3,2-b] thiophene-Based photosensitizers for photovoltaic and photocatalytic applications

Six donor-pi-acceptor (D-pi-A) organic dyes based on thieno[3,2-b]thiophene pi-linker comprising different alkyl side chains were synthesized and characterized. Their photophysical and electrochemical properties were studied and their corresponding performances as photosensitizers (PSs) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and photocatalytic hydrogen production systems were also investigated. A power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 5.25 % in DSSCs and a decent H-2 turnover number (TON) of 5170 (48 h) in platinized TiO2 hydrogen production system were demonstrated. The results indicated that alkyl chain engineering is one of the crucial steps in designing a superior photosensitizer.

Automated summary

In this study, six donor-pi-acceptor (D-pi-A) organic dyes based on thieno[3,2-b]thiophene pi-linker with different alkyl side chains were synthesized and characterized. The photophysical and electrochemical properties of these dyes were investigated, along with their performances as photosensitizers in dye-sensitized solar cells and photocatalytic hydrogen production systems. The results demonstrated the importance of alkyl chain engineering in designing superior photosensitizers.