Zinc Porphyrins Possessing Three p-Carboxyphenyl Groups: Effect of the Donor Strength of Push-Groups on the Efficiency of Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

Zinc porphyrins decorated with three p-carboxyphenyl anchoring groups and various “push” substituents of varied electron-donating strengths were prepared in good yields by facile and straightforward ways. The effect of electron-donating strength of the donor molecules on the overall power conversion efficiency was evaluated with the help of photophysical, electrochemical, photovoltaic spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations. It is observed from the photophysical and Infrared (IR) spectroscopic data that multi-anchoring dyes are more stable and bind more strongly to the TiO2 surface than their one-anchor counterparts. The properties like a three-step synthesis, high overall yields, possible mass production on a gram-scale and strong binding affinities with TiO2 surfaces make them a suitable choice for commercial applications. Zn1NH3A, with electron donating and anti-aggregation characteristics, achieved the highest efficiency of 6.50%.