Efficient Synthesis and Photosensitizer Performance of Nonplanar Organic Donor–Acceptor Molecules

Nonplanar organic donor-acceptor molecules bearing a carboxylic acid group were synthesized by the formal [2+2] cycloaddition-retroelectrocyclization reaction between aniline-substituted alkynes and tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) or 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ). This reaction offers an atom-economic one-step approach to donor-acceptor chromophores in satisfactory high yields. The resulting donor-acceptor molecules were characterized by conventional analytical techniques. In addition, the nonplanarity and intermolecular interactions were investigated by X-ray crystallography. The energy levels and intramolecular charge-transfer (CT), evaluated by UV-Vis-near IR spectroscopy and electrochemistry, suggested that there is a linear correlation between the optical and electrochemical band gaps. Based on these structural and electronic analyses, the photosensitizer performances of the donor-acceptor molecules in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were initially investigated using TiO2 or SnO2 electrodes. Although the power conversion efficiencies were limited, the incident-photon-to-current-conversion efficiency (IPCE) spectra indicated a better photocurrent generation for the devices on SnO2 as compared to those on TiO2.