Ruthenium(II) complexes by introducing phenylene-ethynylene subunit into a tpy (tpy = 2,2':6',2 ''-terpyridine) ligand were newly synthesized, and their photophysical and photochemical properties were characterized. The molar extinction coefficients of these dyes were larger than that of black dye. The photovoltaic performances of the solar cells based on these synthesizing dyes were investigated under AM 1.5 irradiation (100 mW cm(-2)). The conversion efficiencies of 1a and 1b were 5.7% and 2.4%, respectively. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.