Correlating excited state and charge carrier dynamics with photovoltaic parameters of perylene dye sensitized solar cells: influences of an alkylated carbazole ancillary electron-donor.

Two perylene dyes characteristic of electron-donors phenanthrocarbazole (PC) and carbazyl functionalized PC are selected to study the complicated dynamics of excited states and charge carriers, which underlie the photovoltaic parameters of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). We have combined femtosecond fluorescence up-conversion and time-resolved single-photon counting techniques to probe the wavelength-dependent photoluminescence dynamics of dye molecules not only dissolved in THF but also grafted on the surface of oxide nanoparticles. Excited state relaxation and electron injection both occur on a similar timescale, resulting in a very distributive kinetics of electron injection. It is also found that the carbazyl ancillary electron-donor causes a faster electron injection, which over-compensates the adverse impact of a slightly shorter lifetime of the equilibrium excited state. Nanosecond transient absorption and transient photovoltage decay measurements have shown that conjugating carbazyl to PC can effectively slow down the kinetics of charge recombination of electrons in titania with both photo-oxidized dye molecules and triiodide anions, improving the cell photovoltage.