Effect of alkyl chain length on the sensitizing action of substituted non symmetric squaraines for p-type dye-sensitized solar cells
The design and the synthesis of three unsymmetrical squaraines, DS_34, DS_45, and DS_47, have been achieved for their utilization as sensitizers of screen-printed NiO cathodes in p-type dye-sensitized solar cells (p-DSCs). DS_34, DS_45, and DS_47 are bidentate dyes, each bearing two carboxylic anchoring groups, which differ solely in the length of alkyl chain attached to the nitrogen atom of the condensed pyrrole ring (ethyl, butyl, and dodecyl for DS_45, DS_34, and DS_47, respectively).