To design sensitizers for dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), a series of zinc chlorins with different substituents
were synthesized. Novel zinc methyl 3-devinyl-3-hydroxymethyl-20-phenylacetylenylpyropheophorbide-
a (ZnChl-1), zinc methyl 20-bromo-3-devinyl-3-hydroxymethylpyropheophorbide-a (ZnChl-2),
zinc methyl 3-devinyl-3-hydroxymethyl-pyropheophorbide-a (ZnChl-3), zinc propyl 3-devinyl-3-
hydroxymethyl-pyropheophorbide-a (ZnChl-4) were synthesized and their photovoltaic performances
were evaluated in dye-sensitized solar cells. Photoelectrodes with a 7 lm thick nanoporous layer and
a 5 lm thick light-scattering layer were used to fabricate dye sensitized solar cells. The best efficiency
was obtained with ZnChl-2 sensitizer. ZnChl-2 gave a Jsc of 3.5 mA/cm2, Voc of 412 mV, FF of 0.56 and
an overall conversion efficiency of 0.81 at full sun (1000Wm2).