Review on Effect of Various Anchoring Groups on Optical and Electronic Properties Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

The dyes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) require one or more anchoring substituents, enabling their adsorption onto a metal oxide substrate. This adsorption provides a via for electron injection, which is the process that initiates the electrical circuit in DSSCs. To design a high efficiency dye, the deeper understanding of the nature of anchoring substituents is of significance. Carboxylic acid and cyanoacrylic acid groups are traditional substituents as dye anchors in DSSCs. In recent years, novel anchoring groups have presented, which make a larger number of dyes for DSSCs, and their associated physical and chemical characteristics offer interesting effects at the interface between dye and metal oxide. This paper focuses especially on the structural aspects of various anchoring groups on dyes for DSSCs, including tetracyanate, acetylacetanate, 8-hydroxylquinoline, rhodanine and etc. We anticipate that further understanding of anchoring groups operation will not only contribute to the development of advanced DSSCs, but also self-assembled monolayer-based technology.