Photosensitization of Thin SnO₂ Nanocrystalline Semiconductor Film Electrodes with Metalloporphyrins and Alkyl-substituted Metalloporphyrins

Modest fill factors (~0.2) and efficiencies for sensitized photocurrent generation are observed with porphyrins adsorbed to saturation on a nanocrystalline SnO 2 thin film employed as the working electrode in a photoelectrochemical cell. No dye aggregation is observed at the metal oxide/adsorbate interface, and no advantage in the photosensitization efficiency is seen with two porphyrins that exhibit a stable liquid crystalline phase over another porphyrin that does not.