Photosensitization of thin SnO2 nanocrystalline semiconductor film electrodes with metalloporphyrins and alkyl-substituted metalloporphyrins

Modest fill factors (similar to 0.2) and efficiencies for sensitized photoc urrent generation are observed with porphyrins adsorbed to saturation on a nanocrystalline SnO2 thin film employed as the working electrode in a photo electrochemical cell. No dye aggregation is observed at the metal oxide/ads orbate interface, and no advantage in the photosensitization efficiency is seen with two porphyrins that exhibit a stable liquid crystalline phase ove r another porphyrin that does not. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.