ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

A novel triphenylamine-based dye sensitizer supported on titania nanoparticles and the effect of titania fabrication on its optical properties

Elisa Moretti, Manuela Aversa, Alberto Scrivanti, Loretta Storaro, Aldo Talon, Riccardo Marin, Juan Antonio Cecilia, Enrique Rodríguez-Castellón, and Stefano Polizzi

Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Universitá Ca’ Foscari Venezia, Via Torino 155/B, 30172 Venezia, Italy

E-mail: elisa.moretti@unive.it

Abstract: A new synthesised triphenylamine-based dye having a branched structure with one OH-ending branch able to interact with the surface hydroxyl moieties of mesoporous TiO₂ is reported. Optical properties of the dye-titania hybrid material are presented and the higher efficiency of the dye on pure anatase TiO₂ compared to the commercial Degussa P25, which contains a rutile phase component, is confirmed. The optical and chemical properties of the dye make it a promising candidate as a metal-free dye for DSSCs or as a host for a variety of transition or main group metal ions for different applications.

Keywords: triarylamine dye sensitizer – titania – anatase – hybrid materials

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1515/chempap-2015-0192

Chemical Papers 70 (2) 218–230 (2016)