Utilization of Solar Energy: Start from light havesting -the synthesis and characterization studies of boron dipyrromethene dyes

Global energy consumption is currently dependent on fossil fuels and other nonrenewable resources that damage the environment and will eventually be depleted to the point where they are no longer viable sources of energy. This is starting to make solar energy, which is renewable and does not damage the environment, a much more viable source of energy. Photovoltaic cells are able to gather sunlight and convert the light energy into usable electricity with no environmental externalities. Dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC) are a very promising advancement that will be able to cut the cost of solar cells while being able to improve efficiency by absorbing a wider portion of the light spectrum. In our research group we synthesized and investigated the electrochemical and photophysical properties of potential dyes that can be applied to DSSCs. We focused on boron complexes of dipyrromethene so that we may utilize their broad absorption of the visible light spectrum.  I synthesized various dipyrromethene derivatives and characterized their redox potentials through the use of cyclic voltammetry measurements. Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence emission spectroscopy will be used for investigation of photophysical properties and charge-transfer kinetic studies. Proper dipyrromethene derivatives, working as electron donors or acceptors, conjugated with bio-inspired electrets, designed and synthesized in our group, will allow me to study the charge transfer process happening in photovoltaic devices and investigate the fundamental mechanisms behind this process. The use of these organically inspired molecules will allow for a greater overall efficiency, with a large decrease in cost.