Unlocking the UV-absorbing performance of zinc salicylate complex for dye-sensitized solar cells protection: A computational and experimental study

The large-scale application of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) faces several challenges, primarily due to the degradation caused by the UV radiation. This degradation results in decreased stability and lower energy conversion efficiency. Due to its geographical location, Indonesia receives high levels of UV rays throughout the year, making it crucial to prevent degradation of DSSC cells.This study successfully explored a novel potential of zinc salicylate complex as a UV absorber material with superior characteristics and more eco-friendly than current materials. The complex formation, characteristics, performance, and mechanism of zinc salicylate as a UV absorber were investigated through experimental and computational studies. The findings indicate that both intraligand charge transfer (ILCT) and ligand-ligand charge transfer (LLCT) significantly influenced the UV-absorbing capacity of the zinc salicylate complex than the HOMO LUMO gap. Higher concentration of the metal complex enhances UV absorption ability while maintaining effective visible light transmission.