Hydrazonothiazole dyes for enhanced dye-sensitized solar cells in greenhouse applications: Achieving high power conversion efficiency and long-term stability

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) offer a cost-effective and attractive alternative to traditional solar cells for greenhouse applications. Hydrazonothiazole dyes (MHS-1-4) have been investigated as a viable DSSC technology, with researchers designing dyes that absorb light in the green region, while transmitting light in the red and blue regions, making them the ideal fit for plant growth. Sensitized devices display impressive power conversion efficiency (PCEs) ranging from 6.27 to 8.85%, with MHS-4 DSSCs achieving an 8.85% power conversion efficiency, a short-circuit photocurrent density of 17.90 mA cm-2, and a maximum incident monochromatic photonto-electron conversion efficiency (IPCE) of 80%. Furthermore, DSSCs based on MHS-4 demonstrate excellent long-term stability, sustaining nearly constant power conversion efficiency after exposure to one-sun illumination for 1000 h. This breakthrough study demonstrates the potential for hydrazonothiazole dyes in DSSCs, marking a significant step forward in the development of cost-effective solar cell technology compatible with plant growth. With MHS-1-4 dyes' ability to effectively convert photoelectric energy throughout the visible range, and even into the near-infrared (NIR) region up to 900 nm, they offer a new benchmark for DSSC technology.