New organic dyes containing E- or Z-trifluoromethyl acrylic acid as the electron acceptors for dye-sensitized solar cell applications: an investigation of the effect of molecular configuration on the power conversion efficiency of the cells

Two new organic dyes containing E- or Z-trifluoromethyl acrylic acid as the electron acceptors were synthesized and used as sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The Z-isomer achieved a power conversion efficiency (η) of 4.05%, which was much higher than that of the E-isomer (η = 1.35%). Such results give a new insight into in design of new dyes for DSSCs.