Two D-pi-A organic sensitizers SPSGOD3 and SPSGOD4 differing in anchoring groups (cyanoacrylic acid & rhodanine-3-acetic acid) but with common donor (N-(9,9-dihexy1-9H-fluoren-2-yl)-9,9-dihexyl-N-phenyl-9H-fluoren-2-amine) and pi- spacer (furan) have been designed and synthesized for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The sensitizers are fully characterized by H-1 NMR, C-13 NMR, MS and IR spectroscopy techniques. Photophysical, photovoltaic and electrochemical properties of these dyes were investigated. The dye with cyanoacrylic acid anchor (SPSGOD3) for test cell showed maximum IPCE of 79% at 485 nm, where as the dye with rhodanine-3-acetic acid anchor (SPSGOD4) reached maximum IPCE of 67% at 536 nm. The overall power conversion efficiency (eta) of DSSCs sensitized with SPSGOD3 and SPSGOD4 were 6.21% and 3.78% respectively. The higher efficiency of SPSGOD3 is resulting from higher values of open circuit voltage (V-oc) and fill factor (FF). (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.