Incorporating a new 2H-[1,2,3]triazolo[4,5-c]pyridine moiety to construct D-A-π-A organic sensitizers for high performance solar cells.

Two new organic dyes (PTN1 and NPT1) of the configuration D-A-π-A, based on 2H-[1,2,3]triazolo[4,5-c]pyridine (PT) as a central linker, have been synthesized and used as the sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells. Compared with pyridal[2,1,3]thiadiazole-containing congeners, the new dyes have conversion efficiencies nearly 1 order higher due to alleviation of charge trapping. The best conversion efficiency of the cell reaches 6.05% (under AM 1.5G irradiation). Upon addition of the coadsorbent CDCA, the efficiency is boosted to 6.76%, which reaches ∼90% of the standard based on N719.