Synthesis and Characterization of Organic Ligands and the Corresponding Ru Dyes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Ru(II) complexes have been of great interest as dyes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs), where they absorb solar energy and inject an electron into the conduction band of a semiconductor to start the process. The requirements for efficient light capture and electron injection include having a wide absorption envelope, the presence of a surface-anchoring group and appropriate HOMO and LUMO levels. In this thesis: A novel bidentate ligand is introduced and the synthesis of its various derivatives are explored as well as the synthesis of homoleptic and heteroleptic Ru complexes followed by their characterization using 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, ESI-MS, EA, FT-IR and UV-visible spectroscopy.