Jacques-Edouard Moser

Two-electron photo-oxidation of betanin on titanium dioxide and potential for improved dye-sensitized solar energy conversion

The plant pigment betanin is investigated as a dye-sensitizer on TiO2 with regard to its potential to undergo twoelectron oxidation following one-photon excitation. Electrochemical, spectroelectrochemical and transient absorption measurements provide evidence for two-electron proton-coupled photo-oxidation leading to a quinone methide intermediate which rearranges to 2-decarboxy-2,3-dehydrobetanin. Time-resolved spectroscopy measurements of betanin on nanocrystalline TiO2 and ZrO2 films were performed on femtosecond and nanosecond time-scales and provide evidence for transient species with absorption bands in the blue and the red. The results shed light on previous reports of high quantum efficiencies for electron injection and point the way to improved solar conversion efficiency of organic dyesensitized solar cells.

Conductivity in Dye-Sensitized TiO 2 Probed by Optical-Pump THz-Probe Spectroscopy

Employing optical-pump THz-probe spectroscopy we have investigated the photo- induced conductivity dynamics in dye-sensitized mesoporous anatase films as well as the influence of dye aggregates on the injection dynamics.