Dye, photoelectric conversion element using the same, photoelectrochemical cell, and method of producing dye

A dye, having a structure represented by formula (1A), formula (1B) or formula (1C):

• wherein A represents a group of atoms necessary for forming a ring together with the carbon-nitrogen bond;
• at least one of Y1A and Y2A represents an acidic group, in which when they each represent an acidic group, they may be the same as or different from each other, or when only one of them represents an acidic group, the other represents an electron-withdrawing group;
• D represents a group to give a dye;
• n represents an integer of 1 or greater;
• L represents a single bond or a divalent linking group;
• and Y3A represents an acidic group;
• wherein X represents a group of non-metallic atoms necessary for forming a nitrogen-containing 7-membered hetero ring by linking with the benzene rings;
• Y represents a group to give a dye;
• n represents an integer of 1 or more;
• Z represents a substituent;
• m represents zero (0) or a positive integer;
• when m is an integer of 2 or more, Z's may be the same as or different from each other;
• and R1B represents a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aromatic group or a heterocyclic group that is linked with the nitrogen atom via a carbon atom;
• and
• wherein A1 represents a 6- or 7-membered nitrogen-containing heterocycle formed by linking with the benzene ring and the nitrogen atom;
• L1C represents an electron transfer-linking group containing at least one hetero ring selected from the group consisting of a thiophene ring, a furane ring, a pyrrole ring, a selenophene ring, and a hetero ring in which at least two of those are condensed with each other;
• R1C and R3C each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent;
• R2c represents a hydrogen atom or a substituent;
• B1C represents a heterocyclic acidic nucleus, or a methylene group substituted with an electron-withdrawing group;
• B1C represents a group having at least one acidic group;
• and n1 represents an integer of 1 to 12.

A method of producing a dye, which comprises the step of:

• deprotecting at least one of Z1A, Z2A and Z3A, which is a substituent represented by formula (9A) in a compound represented by formula (8A), in the presence of a transition metal catalyst, thereby to obtain a dye having a structure represented by formula (1A):
• wherein A represents a group of atoms necessary for forming a ring together with the carbon-nitrogen bond;
• at least one of Y1A and Y2A represents an acidic group, in which when they each represent an acidic group, they may be the same as or different from each other, or when only one of them represents an acidic group, the other represents an electron-withdrawing group;
• D represents a group to give a dye;
• n represents an integer of 1 or greater;
• L represents a single bond or a divalent linking group;
• and Y3A represents an acidic group;
• wherein A, D, n and L each have the same meanings as those in formula (1A), respectively;
• at lease one of Z1A, Z2A and Z3A represents a substituent represented by formula (9A), and Z1A, Z2A and Z3A each are not the substituent represented by formula (9A), each represent an acidic group, in which any one of Z1A and Z2A represents an electron-withdrawing group.