Cost-Effective Anthryl Dyes for Dye-Sensitized Cells under One Sun and Dim Light

A series of anthracene-based organic dyes were prepared via cost-effective synthetic procedures for dye-sensitized cell application. UV–visible and fluorescent spectra, electrochemical properties, and photovoltaic performance of the dyes were studied. Under one sun (100 mW/cm 2 ), the AN-3 small cell outperforms others in the series. Under a dim light condition, the AN-3 modules showed PCE comparable to that of the Z907 modules. After optimizing the synthetic procedure, we found that AN-3 can be manufactured at a fairly low price.