Two novel thiocyanate-free Ru(II) complexes have been synthesized, characterized and evaluated as dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells. Both complexes have two tridentate ligands: one is the tricarboxyterpyridine as an anchoring ligand and the other is one of the two bis(tetrazolyl)pyridine derivatives. One of the bis(tetrazolyl)pyridine ligand coordinates to the Ru(II) ion as a doubly deprotonated tetrazolate anion with a formal charge of 2 to form a neutral complex, which is coded as BTP dye, while the other bis(methyltetrazolyl)pyridine ligand coordinates to the Ru(II) ion as a neutral ligand forming a divalent cationic complex, coded as BMTP dye. Unexpectedly, the oxidation potentials for these two compounds are similar, implying similar electron-donating effects of the anionic tetrazolate ligand and the neutral methyltetrazole ligand to the Ru(II) ion. Despite similar HOMO/LUMO levels, BTP dye performs much better, recording 6.10% efficiency, than BMTP dye for DSSCs. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy as well as nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy indicates that the differences in the electron injection and electron recombination processes, which may be the consequences of the difference in the localization of LUMO as suggested by DFT calculations, are the main causes for the differences in performance. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.