Photovoltaic cells with various azo dyes as components of the active layer

•Six photovoltaic cells with an active layer of heterocyclic azo dyes are presented.•Heterocyclic azo dyes differ in the type of substituent both donor and acceptor.•Best photovoltaic properties of PV are for azo dyes with neutral substituent.•High power efficiency was also obtained for A3 (electron donating + C4H5NS groups)•High potential heterocyclic azo dyes for effective photovoltaic output is showed. The photovoltaic response of six cells with an active layer of heterocyclic azo dyes is presented for the first time. The active azo layers differed in the type of substituent (i.e. electron-donating: CH3, OCH3 and electron withdrawing: Br). We showed that by changing the substituent in the heterocyclic azo dye we change the power efficiency of the device. It should be mentioned that all presented data showed high potential of heterocyclic azo dyes for effective photovoltaic output. The studied heterocyclic azo dyes have higher photovoltaic parameters than those obtained for photovoltaic cell with 4-Diethoxyphenylsilylazobenzene.