The Performance-Determining Role of Lewis Bases in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Employing Copper-Bisphenanthroline Redox Mediators was written by Fuerer, Sebastian O.;Milhuisen, Rebecca A.;Kashif, Muhammad K.;Raga, Sonia R.;Acharya, Shravan S.;Forsyth, Craig;Liu, Maning;Frazer, Laszlo;Duffy, Noel W.;Ohlin, C. Andre;Funston, Alison M.;Tachibana, Yasuhiro;Bach, Udo. And the article was included in Advanced Energy Materials in 2020.Application In Synthesis of 1-Methylbenzimidazole This article mentions the following:
Copper redox mediators have enabled open-circuit voltages (VOC) of over 1.0 V in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) and have helped to establish DSCs as the most promising solar cell technol. in low-light conditions. The addition of additives such as 4-tert-butylpyridine (tBP) to these electrolytes has helped in achieving high solar cell performances. However, emerging evidence suggests that tBP coordinates to the Cu(II) species and limits the performance of these electrolytes. To date, the implications of this coordination are poorly understood. Here, the importance of Lewis base additives for the successful implementation of copper complexes as redox mediators in DSCs is demonstrated. Two redox couples, [Cu(dmp)2]+/2+ and [Cu(dpp)2]+/2+ (with dmp = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline and dpp = 2,9-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline) in combination with three different Lewis bases, TFMP (4-(trifluoromethyl)pyridine), tBP, and NMBI (1-methyl-benzimidazole), are considered. Through single-crystal X-ray diffraction anal., absorption, and 1H-NMR spectroscopies, the coordination of Lewis bases to the Cu(II) centers are studied. This coordination efficiently suppresses recombination losses and is crucial for high performing solar cells. If, however, the coordination involves a ligand exchange, as is the case for [Cu(dpp)2]+/2+, the redox mediator regeneration at the counter electrode is significantly retarded and the solar cells show current limitations. In the experiment, the researchers used many compounds, for example, 1-Methylbenzimidazole (cas: 1632-83-3Application In Synthesis of 1-Methylbenzimidazole).
1-Methylbenzimidazole (cas: 1632-83-3) belongs to imidazole derivatives. Many natural products, especially alkaloids, contain the imidazole ring. These imidazoles share the 1,3-C3N2 ring but feature varied substituents. Imidazole derivatives have antibacterial, antifungal and anticancer functionality. It interacts with DNA and also binds to protein and stops cell division.Application In Synthesis of 1-Methylbenzimidazole
Referemce:
Imidazole – Wikipedia,
Imidazole | C3H4N2 – PubChem