Current Photovoltaic Research ISSN:2288-3274(Print) 2508-125X(Online)

Large absorption band shift has been observed for the azo-dye (disperse red-13, DR-13) attached on the surface of silica spheres. Urethane linkage has been utilized to form covalent bond between azo-dye (-OH) and 3-isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane (ICPTES, -N=C=O). The synthesized ICPTES-DR-13 (ICPDR) molecules were attached to the silica spheres by the hydrolysis and condensation reaction. Although the absorption peak of DR-13 in methanol is at 510 nm, the absorption peak of the ICPDR-silica spheres shifts to 788 nm. The large absorption peak shift is due to the formation of intramolecular charge-transfer band with large aggregated ICPDR.