Three new dyes encompassing the organometallic [Ru(dppe)(2)] (dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane) fragment were designed and prepared for application in dye-sensitized solar cells. Introduction of the strong electron-withdrawing benzothiadiazole (BTD) unit as an additional acceptor in the attracting ligand led to original D-[M] - A - pi - A' architectures. In particular the use of a thienyl-BTD motif led to a narrow bandgap sensitizer with deep-green coloration. The dye afforded 5.2% power conversion efficiency in TiO2-based DSSC device in the presence of the iodine/iodide couple as redox mediator. A joint experimental and theoretical study of the new dyes is reported.

The electronic and optical properties of a large series of symmetrical D–π–A–π–D chromophores are investigated. Vertical transition energies and related wavelengths, as well as absorption strengths, are computed by means of density functional theory and analyzed in the light of structural and electronic parameters such as torsional angles, bond length alternation, ground-state charge transfer and photo-induced charge displacement. This computational design allows establishing structure-property relationships linking the chemical structure of the chromophores to their absorption capability in the near-infrared (NIR) region, providing comparative guidelines for eventual syntheses.

The two enantiomers of cryptophane-111 (1), which possesses the most simplified chemical structure of cryptophane derivatives and exhibits the highest binding constant for xenon encapsulation in organic solution, were separated by HPLC using chiral stationary phases. The chiroptical properties of [CD(+)254]-1 and [CD(-)254]-1 were determined in CH2Cl2 and CHCl3 solutions by polarimetry, electronic circular dichroism (ECD), vibrational circular dichroism (VCD), and Raman optical activity (ROA) experiments and were compared to those of cryptophane-222 (2) derivative. Synchroton Radiation Circular Dichroism (SRCD) spectra were also recorded for the two enantiomers of 1 to investigate low-lying excited states in the 1Bb region. Time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations of the ECD and SRCD as well as DFT calculations of the VCD and ROA allowed the [CD(-)254]-PP-1 and [CD(+)254]-MM-1 absolute configurations for 1 in CH2Cl2 and CHCl3 solutions. Similar configurations were found in the solid state from X-ray crystals of the two enantiomers but the chemical structures are significantly different from the one calculated in solution. In addition, the chiroptical properties of the two enantiomers of 1 were independent of the nature of the solvent, which is significantly different to that observed for cryptophane-222 compound. The lack of solvent molecule (CH2Cl2 or CHCl3) within the cavity of 1 can explain this different behaviour between 1 and 2. Finally, we show in this article that the encapsulation of xenon by 1 can be evidenced by ROA following the symmetric breathing mode of the cryptophane-111 skeleton at 150 cm-1.

An entry from the Cambridge Structural Database, the world’s repository for small molecule crystal structures. The entry contains experimental data from a crystal diffraction study. The deposited dataset for this entry is freely available from the CCDC and typically includes 3D coordinates, cell parameters, space group, experimental conditions and quality measures.

A couple of novel donor-pi-acceptor dyes based on organometallic ruthenium diacetylide complexes (SL1 and SL2) have been designed and synthesized for use in NiO-based p-type dye-sensitized solar cells (p-DSCs). The optical and electrochemical properties of the dyes were assessed and theoretical calculations were performed to rationalize the experimental data. The best performing dye in NiO-based p-DSC devices is the red dye SL1, which gives a photocurrent density of 2.25 mA cm(-2) and maximum IPCE of 18%. This represents a promising result, paving the way for future finely tuned organometallic efficient dyes for such application.

Enantiopure cryptophane-222 derivative (1) devoid of substituents was obtained via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using chiral stationary phases. The chiroptical properties of 1 were determined from polarimetry, electronic circular dichroism (ECD), synchrotron radiation circular dichroism (SRCD), vibrational circular dichroism (VCD), and Raman optical activity (ROA) experiments and were compared to those of the cryptophane-A (2) derivative. Unusual polarimetric results were obtained for 1 in CHCl3 solvent as the sign of the optical rotation (OR) values changes in the nonresonance region above 365 nm, whereas no change was observed in the CH2Cl2 solvent. ECD spectra in the 1La and 1Lb regions were very similar for the two solutions and could not explain these unusual polarimetric properties. In contrast, SRCD spectra in the 1Bb region revealed spectral differences for the two solutions, which have been associated with conformational changes of the three linkers by time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations. DFT calculations of the OR support that conformational changes may explain the polarimetric results obtained for the two solvents. Finally, TDDFT calculations of the ECD as well as DFT calculations of the VCD and ROA allowed the attribution of the (-)589-PP absolute configuration for 1 in solution, as determined from the X-ray structures of 1.

Enantiopure cryptophane derivatives 1 and 2, possessing linkers of different nature (ethylenedioxy and propylenedioxy) connecting the two cyclotribenzylenes (CTB) units, were separated by HPLC using chiral stationary phases. X-ray crystallographic structures of the four enantiomers (+)-1, (-)-1, (+)-2, and (-)-2 have been obtained, allowing the unambiguous determination of their absolute configuration (AC) in the solid state. The chiroptical properties of compounds 1 and 2 were determined from polarimetry, electronic circular dichroism (ECD), vibrational circular dichroism (VCD), and Raman optical activity (ROA) experiments and were compared to those of cryptophane-A (3) derivative. VCD, ROA and ECD spectra of 1 and 2 were calculated by density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations, respectively, to confirm the AC of the cryptophane derivatives in solution. The (+)-PP and (-)-MM configurations were established for compounds 1 and 2 in chloroform solution, as already reported for the two enantiomers of 3. This result is in agreement with the X-ray structures of the two enantiomers of 1 and 2.

This contribution addresses the solvent effects on the second-order nonlinear optical responses of three representative anil derivatives, and in particular on their variations upon switching between the enol-imine and ketoamine forms. The impact of solute-solvent interactions is investigated by means of ab initio and DFT calculations in which solvent effects are included through the polarizable continuum model. In addition, for one of the compounds, Hyper-Rayleigh Scattering experiments and ab initio calculations are combined to highlight the impact of the solvent-induced equilibrium displacement. These studies show that the global solvent effect on the nonlinear optical responses originates from both the displacement of the tautomeric equilibrium and from the modification of the second-order nonlinear optical response of the individual tautomeric forms.

A rational molecular engineering strategy was set up to prepare an original series of efficient carbazole-based sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells. The new D–π–A dyes, including a fluorene core in the π-bridge, auxiliary thienyl groups on the donor and multiple anti-stacking chains, showed particularly favorable optoelectronic properties for DSSC application. Accordingly, the new dyes achieved up to 6.5% power conversion efficiency in standard devices (7.5 μm-thick transparent TiO2 and iodine-based electrolyte). The dyes were afterwards employed in thin-film devices (2 μm-thick transparent TiO2) and tested in the presence of three different electrolytes including I3−/I−, [CoII(bpy)3(PF6)2]/[CoIII(bpy)3(PF6)3] or [CoII(bpy-pz)2(PF6)2]/[CoIII(bpy-pz)2(PF6)3] as redox mediators. Overall performance under these conditions was around 4% PCE, whatever the electrolyte. However, remarkable open-circuit voltages were observed with cobalt-based electrolytes. In particular, with [Co(bpy-pz)2] the three dyes afforded VOC above 800 mV, even reaching as high as 919 mV, thus compensating the slight decrease in photocurrent arising from the low-mobility of the Co-complexes.

A series of σ-dialkynyl ruthenium complexes showing a D–π–[M]–π–A structure (where [M] = [Ru(dppe)2], dppe = bisdiphenylphosphinoethane) were designed and synthesized for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) applications. The molecular structure of these highly modular organometallic complexes was fine-tuned through the introduction of a bithiophene, rhodanine or benzothiadiazole unit. This original molecular engineering approach combined with convergent synthetic pathways thus afforded efficient photosensitizers with tunable colors across the visible spectrum, ranging from red to purple, blue and blue-green dyes. The optoelectronic properties of the new complexes were fully assessed and the dyes were tested in standard single-dye devices as well as in co-sensitized DSSCs, yielding 7.5% power conversion efficiency in the presence of an iodine-based liquid electrolyte.

The beta contrast in molecular switches has been evaluated at different levels of approximation to assess the performance of typical DFT methods, employing GGA, hybrid, and long-range corrected exchange-correlation functionals. It appears that both the BLYP and B3LYP XC functionals behave poorly and either strongly underestimate or overestimate the beta contrasts. On the other hand, the performance of the LC-BLYP functional is better, though the improvement over HF is not systematic.

The design and preparation of an asymmetric ruthenium-diacetylide organometallic complex was successfully achieved to provide an original donor-π-[M]-π-acceptor architecture, in which [M] corresponds to the [Ru(dppe)2] (dppe: bisdiphenylphosphinoethane) metal fragment. The charge-transfer processes occurring upon photoexcitation of the push-pull metal-dialkynyl σ complex were investigated by combining experimental and theoretical data. The novel push-pull complex, appropriately end capped with an anchoring carboxylic acid function, was further adsorbed onto a semiconducting metal oxide porous thin film to serve as a photosensitizer in hybrid solar cells. The resulting photoactive material, when embedded in dye-sensitized solar cell devices, showed a good spectral response with a broad incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency profile and a power conversion efficiency that reached 7.3 %. Thus, this material paves the way to a new generation of organometallic chromophores for photovoltaic applications.

Enantiopure cryptophane derivatives bearing nine (2, 3) and 12 (4) methoxy substituents attached on the six aromatic rings were separated by HPLC using chiral stationary phases. The chiroptical properties of compounds 2-4 were determined from polarimetry, electronic circular dichroism (ECD), and vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) experiments and were compared to those of cryptophane-A (1) derivative. ECD spectra of 1 and 4 were calculated by time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) to determine the absolute configuration (AC) of cryptophane derivatives. The (+)-PP absolute configuration was thus established for the anti-cryptophane-A (1) and its congeners 2 and 4. VCD experiments associated with DFT calculations confirmed the (+)-PP configuration of anti-compounds 2 and 4 and established the (+)-PM configuration of the syn-3 compound as well. This study revealed the preferential all-trans (TTT) conformation of the three ethylenedioxy linkers for the CHCl3@1, CHCl3@3, and CHCl3@4 complexes, whereas the GTT conformation was found the most favorable for the CHCl3@2 complex.

New π-conjugated structures are constantly the subject of research in dyes and pigments industry and electronic organic field. In this context, the triphenodioxazine (TPDO) core has often been used as efficient photostable pigments and once integrated in air stable n-type organic field-effect transistor (OFET). However, little attention has been paid to the TPDO core as soluble materials for optoelectronic devices, possibly due to the harsh synthetic conditions and the insolubility of many compounds. To benefit from the photostability of TPDO in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs), an original synthetic pathway has been established to provide soluble and dissymmetric molecules applied to a suitable design for the sensitizers of DSC. The study has been pursued by the theoretical modeling of opto-electronic properties, the optical and electronic characterizations of dyes and elaboration of efficient devices. The discovery of new synthetic pathways opens the way to innovative designs of TPDO for materials used in organic electronics.

The semiconducting and self-assembling properties of columnar discotic liquid crystals have stimulated intense research toward their application in organic solar cells, although with a rather disappointing outcome to date in terms of efficiencies. These failures call for a rational strategy to choose those molecular design features (e.g., lattice parameter, length and nature of peripheral chains) that could optimize solar cell performance. With this purpose, in this work we address for the first time the construction of a realistic planar heterojunction between a columnar donor and acceptor as well as a quantitative measurement of charge separation and recombination rates using state of the art computational techniques. In particular, choosing as a case study the interface between a perylene donor and a benzoperylene diimide acceptor, we attempt to answer the largely overlooked question of whether having well-matching donor and acceptor columns at the interface is really beneficial for optimal charge separation. Surprisingly, it turns out that achieving a system with contiguous columns is detrimental to the solar cell efficiency and that engineering the mismatch is the key to optimal performance.

Functional hybrid materials are an important tool for generating original architectures featuring desirable properties for multiple applications. The success in creating innovative materials with valuable functionalities relies on the close interaction between the organic and inorganic parts of the hybrid system. Herein, we report the use of tetrazole as an anchoring group for the photosensitization of TiO2 nanoparticles by an organic chromophore and the related performance in dye-sensitized solar cells. The interaction mode between the tetrazole motif and TiO2 was thoroughly investigated by various techniques. The overall study reveals that the optoelectronic and photovoltaic properties of the dye featuring tetrazole rival those of an analogue bearing a carboxylic acid function, even leading to significantly enhanced photovoltage in the device. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the tetrazole functional group as a serious alternative anchoring group for organic photosensitizers in hybrid mate...

Nanoscale structures, including molecules, supramolecules, polymers, functionalized surfaces, and crystalline/amorphous solids, can commute between two or more forms, displaying contrasts in their nonlinear optical (NLO) properties. Because of this property, they have high potential for applications in data storage, signal processing, and sensing. As potential candidates for integration into responsive materials, scientists have been intensely studying organic and organometallic molecules with switchable first hyperpolarizability over the past two decades. As a result of this, researchers have been able to synthesize and characterize several families of molecular NLO switches that differ by the stimulus used to trigger the commutation. These stimuli can include light irradiation, pH variation, redox reaction, and ion recognition, among others. The design of multistate (including several switchable units) and multifunctional (triggered with different stimuli) systems has also motivated a large amount of work, aiming at the improvement of the storage capacity of optical memories or the diversification of the addressability of the devices. In complement to the synthesis of the compounds and the characterization of their NLO responses by means of hyper-Rayleigh scattering, quantum chemical calculations play a key role in the design of molecular switches with high first hyperpolarizability contrasts. Through the latter, we can gain a fundamental understanding of the various factors governing the efficiency of the switches. These are not easily accessible experimentally, and include donor/acceptor contributions, frequency dispersion, and solvent effects. In this Account, we illustrate the similarities of the experimental and theoretical tools to design and characterize highly efficient NLO switches but also the difficulties in comparing them. After providing a critical overview of the different theoretical approaches used for evaluating the first hyperpolarizabilities, we report two case studies in which theoretical simulations have provided guidelines to design NLO switches with improved efficiencies. The first example presents the joint theoretical/experimental characterization of a new family of multi-addressable NLO switches based on benzazolo-oxazolidine derivatives. The second focuses on the photoinduced commutation in merocyanine-spiropyran systems, where the significant NLO contrast could be exploited for metal cation identification in a new generation of multiusage sensing devices. Finally, we illustrate the impact of environment on the NLO switching properties, with examples based on the keto-enol equilibrium in anil derivatives. Through these representative examples, we demonstrate that the rational design of molecular NLO switches, which combines experimental and theoretical approaches, has reached maturity. Future challenges consist in extending the investigated objects to supramolecular architectures involving several NLO-responsive units, in order to exploit their cooperative effects for enhancing the NLO responses and contrasts.

Carb your enthusiasm: Carbazole-based sensitizers with high extinction coefficients are synthesized for application in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The dyes perform efficiently with both iodine and cobalt electrolytes, showing power conversion efficiencies of up to 5.8% on TiO₂ films of 15 μm thickness, and retaining 90% of their efficiency in devices with thinner films.

A joint experimental and theoretical study is carried out to investigate the structural and absorption properties of the C212 organic dye adsorbed onto the TiO2 anatase surface. UV–Vis measurements evidence a significant blue shift of the main absorption band of the dye upon absorption, which is well reproduced by theoretical calculations combining tight-binding and time-dependent DFT calculations. The blue shift is substantiated by a loss in the efficiency of the light-induced charge transfer along the anchored dye, which partly originates from the deprotonation of the carboxylic acid function.

Quantum-chemical techniques are applied to assess the electronic structure at donor/acceptor heterojunctions of interest for organic solar cells. We show that electrostatic effects at the interface of model 1D stacks profoundly modify the energy landscape explored by charge carriers in the photoconversion process and that these can be tuned by chemical design. When fullerene C60 molecules are used as acceptors and unsubstituted oligothiophenes or pentacene are used as donors, the uncompensated quadrupolar electric field at the interface provides the driving force for splitting of the charge-transfer states into free charges. This quadrupolar field can be either enhanced by switching from a C60 to a perylene-tetracarboxylic-dianhydride (PTCDA) acceptor or suppressed by grafting electron-withdrawing groups on the donor.