Dye-sensitized solar cells with 13% efficiency achieved through the molecular engineering of porphyrin sensitizers
Open accessAbstract
Dye-sensitized solar cells have gained widespread attention in recent years because of their low production costs, ease of fabrication and tunable optical properties, such as colour and transparency. Here, we report a molecularly engineered porphyrin dye, coded SM315, which features the prototypical structure of a donor-π-bridge-acceptor and both maximizes electrolyte compatibility and improves light-harvesting properties. Linear-response, time-dependent density functional theory was used to investigate the perturbations in the electronic structure that lead to improved light harvesting. Using SM315 with the cobalt(II/III) redox shuttle resulted in dye-sensitized solar cells that exhibit a high open-circuit voltage VOC of 0.91 V, short-circuit current density JSC of 18.1 mA cm(-2), fill factor of 0.78 and a power conversion efficiency of 13%.
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The first porphyrin DSSC, employing Cu-2α-oxymesoisochlorin, achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 2.6% in 1993.
“The first porphyrin DSSC, employing Cu-2α-oxymesoisochlorin, achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 2.6% in 1993 [64].”
From Three-Dimensional Solar Harvesting with Transparent Spectral Selective Photovoltaics in Agrivoltaics (2025) · cites this paper as [64]
The introduction (section D; page unavailable) discusses later porphyrin sensitizers and their efficiencies, but does not identify a first porphyrin DSSC. Searches for Cu-2α-oxymesoisochlorin, 1993, and 2.6% found no passage in our copy addressing the claimed device or result. (LLM, conf=0.72)
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- Authors
- Mathew, S., Yella, A., Gao, P., Humphry-Baker, R., Curchod, B. F. E., Ashari-Astani, N., Tavernelli, I., Rothlisberger, U., Nazeeruddin, M. K., & Grätzel, M.
- Affiliations
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (CH)
- Venue
- Nature Chemistry
- Published
- 2014-02-02
- Volume
- 6
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 242-247
- ISSN
- 1755-4330 (ISSN-L)
- 1755-4349
- OpenAlex
- W2095062688
- Cited by
- 4,473
- References
- 50
- Citations by year
- 2026: 110 · 2025: 125 · 2024: 161 · 2023: 188 · 2022: 246 · 2021: 318 · 2020: 334 · 2019: 392 · 2018: 506 · 2017: 558 · 2016: 646 · 2015: 616 · 2014: 268
- FWCI
- 229.68
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- www.nature.com
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Nature Chemistry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Durham Research Online (Durham University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Infoscience (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) (submittedVersion)
- Infoscience (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Explore Bristol Research (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Fondazione Internazionale Premio Balzan
- European Commission (247404, 246124, 2007–2013, 261920, FP7 2007-2013, FP7/2007)
- National Research Foundation
- Korea University
- National Research Foundation of Korea (R31-2008-000-10035-0)
- Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (R31- 2008-000-10035-0)
- FP7 Ideas: European Research Council (247404)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › TiO2 Photocatalysis and Solar Cells
- Physical Sciences › Chemistry › Physical and Theoretical Chemistry › Photochemistry and Electron Transfer Studies
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Materials Chemistry › Porphyrin and Phthalocyanine Chemistry
- Keywords
- dye-sensitized solar cells, porphyrin photosensitizers, molecular engineering, electrolyte compatibility, open-circuit voltage, power conversion efficiency, time-dependent density functional theory
- MeSH terms
- Models, Molecular, Porphyrins, Solar Energy, Molecular Structure
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