Iron based photosensitizers anchored on metal oxide thin films for a greener future Lakshmi Narayan Satheesh Babu, Ludovic Troian-Gautier Molecular Chemistry, Materials and Catalysis (MOST), Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences (IMCN) UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348, Belgium, Wel Research Institute, Wavre, Belgium Meeting global energy demands through sustainable energy production remains a critical challenge, as fossil fuel-based energy sources are unsustainable. Solar energy harvesting presents a promising solution to address both current and future energy needs. Our work focuses on solar energy conversion using Dye Sensitized Photoelectrochemical Cells (DSPECs), an advanced photoelectrochemical system designed to transform solar energy into chemical energy, primarily through water splitting to generate valuable products such as solar fuels [1] . Most of the DSPECs today still rely on noble metal complexes such as Ru (II) photosensitizers. In this work, we are focusing on the development of iron-based photosensitizer [2] as a sustainable alternative to the Ru(II) champion photosensitizers [3] . These newly formed Fe (III) photosensitizers [2, 4] were functionalized with anchoring groups that included phosphonic acid, silane, carboxylic acid (benzoic acid and isophthalic acid). These photosensitizers were anchored on selected metal oxides, such as TiO 2 , SnO 2 , nanoITO and NiO. The resulting photoelectrodes were analyzed using various spectroscopic techniques, including UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, steady-state and time-resolved luminescence, Spectro electrochemistry, ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy and photocurrent measurements. These analyses provide crucial insights into the photophysical and electrochemical properties of these individual photoelectrodes, representing the first step in the development of novel DSPEC systems for sustainable energy applications. Our work represents a significant step toward paving the way for environmentally friendly solar energy conversion technologies. By advancing the understanding of Fe (III) photosensitizers and their interaction with semiconductor materials, we contribute to the broader goal of developing efficient, low-cost and sustainable DSPEC systems for solar fuel applications. References 1. Satheesh, L. N.; Achilleos, K.; Abudayyeh, A. M.; Troian-Gautier, L. Challenges and Opportunities in the Use of Iron Photosensitizers for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells and Photoelectrosynthetic Cells Applications. EcoEnergy 2025 , n/a (n/a), e70001. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece2.70001 (acccessed 2025/04/03). 2. Glaser, F.; Aydogan, A.; Elias, B.; Troian-Gautier, L. The great strides of iron photosensitizers for contemporary organic photoredox catalysis: On our way to the holy grail? Coordination Chemistry Reviews 2024 , 500, 215522. DOI: https://doi. org/10.1016/j.ccr.2023.215522. 3. Glaser, F.; De Kreijger, S.; Achilleos, K.; Satheesh, L. N.; Ripak, A.; Chantry, N.; Bourgois, C.; Quiquempoix, S.; Scriven, J.; Rubens, J.; et al. A Compendium of Methodically Determined Ground- and Excited-State Properties of Homoleptic Ruthenium(II) and Osmium(II) Photosensitizers. ChemPhotoChem 2024 , 8 (12), e202400134. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ cptc.202400134 (acccessed 2025/04/06). 4. Kjær, K. S.; Kaul, N.; Prakash, O.; Chábera, P.; Rosemann, N. W.; Honarfar, A.; Gordivska, O.; Fredin, L. A.; Bergquist, K.-E.; Häggström, L.; et al. Luminescence and reactivity of a charge-transfer excited iron complex with nanosecond lifetime. Science 2019 , 363 (6424), 249-253. DOI: 10.1126/science.aau7160 (acccessed 2025/04/06).
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