Date of Completion

5-11-2013

Embargo Period

11-15-2013

Advisors

Christian Brückner; Allison MacKay

Field of Study

Environmental Engineering

Degree

Master of Science

Open Access

Open Access

Abstract

The dye sensitized solar cells have been interesting a lot of researchers for their low-costs and effective conversion of light energy into electrical energy. The porphyrin molecules can absorb light at different wavelengths which can be used as sensitizers in the dye-sensitized solar cells. The number of reaction sites and the feasibility of fine tuning of the optical, physical, electrochemical and photovoltaic properties of porphyrins is also an advantage of using them as sensitizers. One of the derivatives of the porphyrin molecule is the pentafluoropheylporphyrin, which in turn serves as the starting material for an extensive set of modified porphyrins and related structures. The 4-mercaptobenzoic acid molecule can be used as an efficient molecule to attach the pentafluoroporphyrin dye compound to the TiO2 nanoparticle film. New pentafluorophenylporphyrin dye compound with the linker molecules attached to it has been produced and adsorbed onto the TiO2 films. The current densities were measured for the dye sensitized solar cells prepared using the TiO2 films with pentafluorophenylporphyrin as the sensitizer.

Major Advisor

Alexander G.Agrios

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