• Energy Research

The syntheses of 4,4′-bis(4-dimethylaminophenyl)-6,6′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine (1), 4,4′-bis(4-dimethylaminophenylethynyl)-6,6′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine (2), 4,4′-bis(4-diphenylaminophenyl)-6,6′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine (3), and 4,4′-bis(4-diphenylaminophenylethynyl)-6,6′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine (4) are reported along with the preparations and characterisations of their homoleptic copper(I) complexes [CuL2][PF6] (L = 1–4). The solution absorption spectra of the complexes exhibit ligand-centred absorptions in addition to absorptions in the visible region assigned to a combination of intra-ligand and metal-to-ligand charge-transfer. Heteroleptic [Cu(5)(Lancillary)]+ dyes in which 5 is the anchoring ligand ((6,6′-dimethyl-[2,2′-bipyridine]-4,4′-diyl)bis(4,1-phenylene))bis(phosphonic acid) and Lancillary = 1–4 have been assembled on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO)-TiO2 electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). Performance parameters and external quantum efficiency (EQE) spectra of the DSCs (four fully-masked cells for each dye) reveal that the best performing dyes are [Cu(5)(1)]+ and [Cu(5)(3)]+. The alkynyl spacers are not beneficial, leading to a decrease in the short-circuit current density (JSC), confirmed by lower values of EQEmax. Addition of a co-absorbent (n-decylphosphonic acid) to [Cu(5)(1)]+ lead to no significant enhancement of performance for DSCs sensitized with [Cu(5)(1)]+. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) has been used to investigate the interfaces in DSCs; the analysis shows that more favourable electron injection into TiO2 is observed for sensitizers without the alkynyl spacer and confirms higher JSC values for [Cu(5)(1)]+.

The search for affordable high performance electrode materials in photoelectrochemical hydrogen production by solar water splitting is an ongoing quest. Hematite is a photoanode material with an electronic band gap suitable for efficient absorption of visible light in a photoelectrochemical cell (PEC). Although its poor electronic structure makes hematite a controversial candidate for PEC, it remains promising because it is an earth abundant, chemically stable and low cost material – necessary prerequisites for PEC to become a competitive cost-efficient solar fuel economy. In addition to reviewing some recent PEC research on hematite and its relevant physical and chemical characteristics, we show how hematite obtained by a low cost synthesis can be refined by hydrothermal treatment and further functionalized by coating with phycocyanin, a light harvesting protein known for photosynthesis in blue-green algae.

A systematic investigation of four heteroleptic bis(diimine) copper(I) dyes in n-type Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs) is presented. The dyes are assembled using a stepwise, on-surface assembly. The dyes contain a phosphonic acid-functionalized 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy) anchoring domain (5) and ancillary bpy ligands that bear peripheral phenyl (1), 4-methoxyphenyl (2), 3,5-dimethoxyphenyl (3), or 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl (4) substituents. In masked DSSCs, the best overall photoconversion efficiency was obtained with the dye [Cu(5)(4)]+ (1.96% versus 5.79% for N719). Values of JSC for both [Cu(5)(2)]+ (in which the 4-MeO group is electron releasing) and [Cu(5)(4)]+ (which combines electron-releasing and electron-withdrawing effects of the 4- and 3,5-substituents) and are enhanced with respect to [Cu(5)(1)]+. DSSCs with [Cu(5)(3)]+ show the lowest JSC. Solid-state absorption spectra and external quantum efficiency spectra reveal that [Cu(5)(4)]+ benefits from an extended spectral range at higher energies. Values of VOC are in the order [Cu(5)(4)]+ > [Cu(5)(1)]+ > [Cu(5)(2)]+ > [Cu(5)(3)]+. Density functional theory calculations suggest that methoxyphenyl character in MOs within the HOMO manifold in [Cu(5)(2)]+ and [Cu(5)(4)]+ may contribute to the enhanced performances of these dyes with respect to [Cu(5)(1)]+.

A facile and low-cost dip-coating process for the deposition of silicon doped hematite films (Si:α-Fe2O3) for hydrogen production by solar water splitting in photo-electrochemical cells (PEC) is presented. The precursors include iron nitrate, oleic acid, tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and tetrahydrofuran as dispersion agent. Sequential dip coating on transparent conducting oxides glass substrates with heat treatment steps at 500 °C and 760 °C yields mesoporous Si:α-Fe2O3 with a roughness factor of 17 and photocurrent densities >1 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode with SiOx underlayer and surface modification. A PEC demonstrator with 80 cm2 active area in 1 M potassium hydroxide yields a photocurrent of 35 mA at 1.5 AM irradiation with the corresponding hydrogen evolution at a Pt wire counter electrode.

The following contributions describe various research activities of the Department of Chemistry, University of Basel in the area of nanochemistry and supramolecular chemistry.

The effects of a change in the protonation state of the phosphonic acid anchoring ligand in a heteroleptic copper(i) sensitizer on the performance of n-type dye-sensitized solar cells are presented.