Corrole-sensitized TiO₂ solar cells

Abstract

We are investigating the properties of corrole-sensitized TiO 2 solar cells. The TiO 2 -adsorbed free base and Ga III corroles display cell efficiencies under AM 1.5 illumination that are about half that of a standard N 3-sensitized cell ( N 3 = cis-bis(4,4'-dicarboxy-2,2'-bipyridine)dithiocyanato ruthenium(II)), while that of the Sn IV -based cell is much lower. The properties of the corrole- TiO 2 solar cells, along with results obtained with electrodes of lower conduction band energies clearly reveal that the reducing power of the singlet excited states of the free base and Ga III corrole, but not of the Sn IV derivative, is sufficiently high for efficient injection into the TiO 2 conduction band.