Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) offer the possibilities to design solar cells with a large flexibility in shape, color, and transparency. DSC research groups have been established around the worl ...

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Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

About Supramolecular Assemblies of π-Conjugated Systems

Organic solar cell research has developed during the past 30 years, but especially in the last decade it has attracted scientific and economic interest triggered by a rapid increase in power conversion efficiencies. This was achieved by the introduction of new materials, improved materials engineering, and more sophisticated device structures. Today, solar power conversion efficiencies in excess of 3% have been accomplished with several device concepts. Though efficiencies of these thin-film organicdevices have not yet reached those of their inorganic counterparts (η ≈ 10–20%); the perspective of cheap production (employing, e.g., roll-to-roll processes) drives the development of organic photovoltaic devices further in a dynamic way. The two competitive production techniques used today are either wet solution processing or dry thermal evaporation of the organic constituents. The field of organic solar cells profited well from the development of light-emitting diodes based on similar technologies, which have entered the market recently. We review here the current status of the field of organic solar cells and discuss different production technologies as well as study the important parameters to improve their performance.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0884291400094498

Organic solar cells: An overview

Fascination with supramolecular chemistry over the last few decades has led to the synthesis of an ever-increasing number of elegant and intricate functional structures with sizes that approach nanoscopic dimensions Today, it has grown into a mature field of modern science whose interfaces with many disciplines have provided invaluable opportunities for crossing boundaries both inside and between the fields of chemistry, physics, and biology This chemistry is of continuing interest for synthetic chemists; partly because of the fascinating physical and chemical properties and the complex and varied aesthetically pleasing structures that supramolecules possess For scientists seeking to design novel molecular materials exhibiting unusual sensing, magnetic, optical, and catalytic properties, and for researchers investigating the structure and function of biomolecules, supramolecular chemistry provides limitless possibilities Thus, it transcends the traditional divisional boundaries of science and represents a highly interdisciplinary field

In the early 1960s, the discovery of ‘crown ethers’, ‘cryptands’ and ‘spherands’ by Pedersen,1 Lehn,2 and Cram3 respectively, led to the realization that small, complementary molecules can be made to recognize each other through non-covalent interactions such as hydrogen-bonding, charge-charge, donor-acceptor, π-π, van der Waals, etc Such ‘programmed’ molecules can thus be self-assembled by utilizing these interactions in a definite algorithm to form large supramolecules that have different physicochemical properties than those of the precursor building blocks Typical systems are designed such that the self-assembly process is kinetically reversible; the individual building blocks gradually funnel towards an ensemble that represents the thermodynamic minimum of the system via numerous association and dissociation steps By tuning various reaction parameters, the reaction equilibrium can be shifted towards the desired product As such, self-assembly has a distinct advantage over traditional, stepwise synthetic approaches when accessing large molecules

It is well known that nature has the ability to assemble relatively simple molecular precursors into extremely complex biomolecules, which are vital for life processes Nature’s building blocks possess specific functionalities in configurations that allow them to interact with one another in a deliberate manner Protein folding, nucleic acid assembly and tertiary structure, phospholipid membranes, ribosomes, microtubules, etc are but a selective, representative example of self-assembly in nature that is of critical importance for living organisms Nature makes use of a variety of weak, non-covalent interactions such as hydrogen–bonding, charge–charge, donor–acceptor, π-π, van der Waals, hydrophilic and hydrophobic, etc interactions to achieve these highly complex and often symmetrical architectures In fact, the existence of life is heavily dependent on these phenomena The aforementioned structures provide inspiration for chemists seeking to exploit the ‘weak interactions’ described above to make scaffolds rivaling the complexity of natural systems

The breadth of supramolecular chemistry has progressively increased with the synthesis of numerous unique supramolecules each year Based on the interactions used in the assembly process, supramolecular chemistry can be broadly classified in to three main branches: i) those that utilize H-bonding motifs in the supramolecular architectures, ii) processes that primarily use other non-covalent interactions such as ion-ion, ion-dipole, π–π stacking, cation-π, van der Waals and hydrophobic interactions, and iii) those that employ strong and directional metal-ligand bonds for the assembly process However, as the scale and degree of complexity of desired molecules increases, the assembly of small molecular units into large, discrete supramolecules becomes an increasingly daunting task This has been due in large part to the inability to completely control the directionality of the weak forces employed in the first two classifications above Coordination-driven self-assembly, which defines the third approach, affords a greater control over the rational design of 2D and 3D architectures by capitalizing on the predictable nature of the metal-ligand coordination sphere and ligand lability to encode directionality Thus, this third strategy represents an alternative route to better execute the “bottom-up” synthetic strategy for designing molecules of desired dimensions, ranging from a few cubic angstroms to over a cubic nanometer For instance, a wide array of 2D systems: rhomboids, squares, rectangles, triangles, etc, and 3D systems: trigonal pyramids, trigonal prisms, cubes, cuboctahedra, double squares, adamantanoids, dodecahedra and a variety of other cages have been reported As in nature, inherent preferences for particular geometries and binding motifs are ‘encoded’ in certain molecules depending on the metals and functional groups present; these moieties help to control the way in which the building blocks assemble into well-defined, discrete supramolecules4

Since the early pioneering work by Lehn5 and Sauvage6 on the feasibility and usefulness of coordination-driven self-assembly in the formation of infinite helicates, grids, ladders, racks, knots, rings, catenanes, rotaxanes and related species,7 several groups - Stang,8 Raymond,9 Fujita,10 Mirkin,11 Cotton12 and others13,14 have independently developed and exploited novel coordination-based paradigms for the self-assembly of discrete metallacycles and metallacages with well-defined shapes and sizes In the last decade, the concepts and perspectives of coordination-driven self-assembly have been delineated and summarized in several insightful reviews covering various aspects of coordinationdriven self-assembly15 In the last decade, the use of this synthetic strategy has led to metallacages dubbed as “molecular flasks” by Fujita,16 and Raymond and Bergman,17 which due to their ability to encapsulate guest molecules, allowed for the observation of unique chemical phenomena and unusual reactions which cannot be achieved in the conventional gas, liquid or solid phases Furthermore, these assemblies found applications in supramolecular catalysis18,19 and as nanomaterials as developed by Hupp20 and others21,22

This review focuses on the journey of early coordination-driven self-assembly paradigms to more complex and discrete 2D and 3D supramolecular ensembles over the last decade We begin with a discussion of various approaches that have been developed by different groups to assemble finite supramolecular architectures The subsequent sections contain detailed discussions on the synthesis of discrete 2D and 3D systems, their functionalizations and applications

Supramolecular coordination: self-assembly of finite two- and three-dimensional ensembles.

Mathematical Handbook for Scientists and Engineers

Host–guest composites with photonic antenna properties are described. The material consists of cylindrical zeolite L crystals the channels of which are filled with chains of joined but electronically non-interacting dye molecules. Light shining on a crystal is first absorbed and the energy is then transported by the dye molecules inside the tubes to the desired part. Data on crystals in the size range of 30 nm up to 3000 nm are reported. The synthesis principle we are using is based on the fact that molecules can diffuse into individual channels. This means that given the appropriate conditions, they can also leave the zeolite by the same way. In some cases, however, it is desirable to block their way out, for stability reasons. This is done by adding a closure molecule. The general approach to connect the antenna function to its surroundings is to add “stopcock” molecules which generally consist of a head, a spacer and a label. They can either
trap excitation energy on the external surface or inject excitation energy into the dye-loaded crystal. The stopcock molecules act as bridges between the dye molecules inside the channels and the outside world. Functionalisation of the closure and the stopcock molecules is an option for tuning 
e.g. wettability, refractive index, and chemical reactivity. The wide-ranging tunability of the dye–zeolite L composites makes them useful for many applications. We discuss demonstration experiments which show the process of energy transfer and energy migration as educational tools, applications as high quality and non-toxic pigments, use as strongly luminescent pigments applicable as colour-changing media for LEDs, options for realising nanoscaled laser materials, and finally the challenge for realising solid state solar cells based on sensitisation of a thin semiconductor layer by energy transfer, the reversal of which can also lead to a new generation of LEDs.

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Photonic antenna system for light harvesting, transport and trapping

The fluorescent properties of the cationic free base tetrakis(4-N-methylpyridy1)porphyrin (H2TMPyP(4)) in aqueous solution have been the subject of considerable discussion. Conclusions by various authors on the presence of homo-aggregation of H2TMPyP in these solutions are contradictory. The present work reports spectroscopic data for three isomers of H2TMPyP(n) (n = 2,3, or 4) at varying concentrations, solvent polarity, and temperature. 'H NMR spectra of H2TMPyP(4) show no ground-state monomers below M in water. Fluorescence spectra of the three isomers in aqueous solutions indicate the absence of aggregates both in the ground and excited state. Fluorescence lifetimes of the three isomers both in solution as well as adsorbed on solid surfaces can be explained by taking into account their dependence on the steric hindrance for rotation of the pyridinium groups of the three isomers with respect to the porphyrin macrocycle. Molecular mechanics confirms a higher degree of steric hindrance of H2TMPyP(2) as compared to the two other isomers. From the experimental results it is concluded that the first excited singlet state SI of the porphyrin mixes with a nearby CT state slightly above this SI state. In this CT state an electron is transferred from the porphyrin macrocycle to the pyridinium group. The amount of SI-CT mixing, responsible for the spectroscopic differences, is determined by the degree of coplanarity and resonance interaction of the porphyrin and the pyridinium n-systems, and by the solvent polarity which determines the energy difference between the two states.

Intramolecular interactions in the ground and excited state of tetrakis(N-methylpyridyl)porphyrins.

Exciton transport in organic dye layers for photovoltaic applications

The effect of osmotic stress (� 0.35 MPa) on the cell water balance and apical growth was studied noninvasively for maize (Zea mays L., cv. LG 11) and pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum L., cv. MH 179) by 1 H NMR microscopy in combination with water uptake measurements. Single parameter images of the water content and the transverse relaxation time (T2 ) were used to discriminate between the different tissues and to follow the water status of the apical region during osmotic stress. The T2 values of nonstressed stem tissue turned out to be correlated to the cell dimensions as determined by optical microscopy. Growth was found to be strongly inhibited by mild stress in both species, whereas the water uptake was far less affected. During the experiment hardly any changes in water content or T2 in the stem region of maize were observed. In contrast, the apical tissue of pearl millet showed a decrease in T2 within 48 h of stress. This decrease in T2 is interpreted as an increase in the membrane permeability for water.

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Quantitative NMR microscopy of osmotic stress responses in maize and pearl millet.

Photoelectrochemical cells have been constructed by depositing monolayers of oriented covalently linked zinc/free base porphyrin heterodimers onto ∼30 nm nonporous layers of TiO2 on ITO, deposited by metal−organic chemical vapor deposition (MO-CVD), and onto ∼100 nm porous, nanostructured TiO2 layers, spin-coated from a suspension of P25 (Degussa) on ITO. Fluorescence quenching of the dyes on both types of TiO2 substrates is compared with that of dilute solutions of the dyes and with that of dye-coated, porous ZrO2 (Degussa) substrates. By functionalizing one of the porphyrin dimer components with carboxylic substituents, which bind to the TiO2 or ZrO2 substrate surface, either the zinc porphyrin (ZnP) or the free base porphyrin (H2P) component of the dimer can be made to be in direct contact with the substrate. These dimer−substrate arrangements are denoted ZnP−H2P- -TiO2 (dimer 1) and H2P−ZnP- -TiO2 (dimer 2), respectively, where “- -” denotes binding of the carboxyl-substituted porphyrin in the heterod...

Tjeerd J. Schaafsma

Papers

Photonic antenna system for light harvesting, transport and trapping

Intramolecular interactions in the ground and excited state of tetrakis(N-methylpyridyl)porphyrins.

Exciton transport in organic dye layers for photovoltaic applications

Quantitative NMR microscopy of osmotic stress responses in maize and pearl millet.

Spectral Sensitization of TiO2 Substrates by Monolayers of Porphyrin Heterodimers