A new class of thiocyanate-free ruthenium(II) complex containing a 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylate ligand was designed and synthesized as a near-IR sensitizer for dye-sensitized solar cells, and its photophysical and photochemical properties were characterized. The solar cell sensitized with this complex exhibited efficient panchromatic sensitization over the entire visible wavelength region extending into the near-IR region. An overall conversion efficiency of 6.5% was attained under standard AM 1.5 irradiation (100 mW cm(-2)).