Synthesis, Spectroscopy and Photophysical Properties of Ruthenium Triazole Complexes and Their Application as Dye-Molecules in Regenerative Solar Cells

The complexes [Ru(dcb)2(L)] {L = 3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-5-(pyridin-2-yl)-1,2,4-triazole (2-ppt), 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-5-(pyridin-2-yl)-1,2,4-triazole (4-ppt), 3,5-bis(pyrazin-2-yl)-1,2,4-triazole (bpzt), 3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-5-(pyrazin-2-yl)-1,2,4-triazole (2-ppzt) and dcb = 4,4′-(CO2H)2-2,2′-bipyridine} have been synthesized, spectroscopically characterized and anchored to nanocrystalline TiO2 electrodes for the conversion of light into electricity in regenerative solar cells. The different efficiencies observed have been rationalized on the basis of an analytical expression relating the incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) to the kinetic parameters of the relevant electron transfer processes involved in the solar cell.