Nile red based dye D–π–A as a promising material for solar cell applications

Abstract

A recently reported Nile red (NR) dye conjugated with benzothiadiazole species paves the way for the development of novel organic-based sensitizers used in solar cells whose structures are susceptible to modifications. Thus, six novel NR structures were derived from two previously developed structures in laboratories. In this study, density functional theory (DFT) calculations and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) were used to determine the optoelectronic properties of the NR-derived moieties such as absorption spectra. Various linkers were investigated in an attempt to understand the impact of π-linkers on the optoelectronic properties. According to the findings, the presence of furan species led to the planarity of the molecule and a reduction in the band gap between the LUMO and the HOMO. Each one of the aforementioned molecules exhibited great delocalization of π-electrons. Based on the TD-DFT calculations, two furans had the highest value for the red-shift. There is an excellent correlation observed between the computed optoelectronic properties and calculated HOMO-LUMO gaps. In conclusion, the current work aimed at clarifying the impact of π-linkers on the photophysical properties of the NR-derived moieties. Also, the current study provided useful insights into the development of novel species used in optoelectronic devices.