Dye-sensitized solar cells are a promising alternative to traditional inorganic semiconductor-based solar cells. Here we report an open-circuit voltage of over 1,000 mV in mesoscopic dye-sensitized solar cells incorporating a molecularly engineered cobalt complex as redox mediator. Cobalt complexes have negligible absorption in the visible region of the solar spectrum, and their redox propertie...

We discuss a generalized model for a solar cell, and the realization with heterogeneous photochemical photovoltaic converters such as the dye-sensitized solar cell. The different steps involved in the conversion of photon energy to electrical energy, indicate that a key point to consider is maintaining the separation of Fermi levels in the selective contacts to the absorber. In order to underst...

Solar cells must accomplish two basic tasks to generate current: absorb incident photons and conduct excited electrons to the circuit. Traditional solar cells made of silicon accomplish these with a single, expensive material. Dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC) are an alternative using separately optimized materials for each task. In short, a dye absorbs the photons and injects them into a semic...

A panchromatic specular reflector based dye solar cell is presented herein. Photovoltaic performance of this novel design is compared to that of cells in which standard diffuse scattering layers are integrated. The capability of the proposed multilayer structures to both emulate the broad band reflection of diffuse scattering layers of standard thickness (around 5 microns) and give rise to simi...

Recent studies have demonstrated the potential of different nanocrystals synthesized in ferritin to act as light harvesters for high-efficiency solar cells. This study investigates the possibility of using these nanocrystals as alternative dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells. Four different dye-sensitized solar cells were successfully fabricated using iron, cobalt, manganese, and lead-sulfide n...

We have designed a new set of D-π-A type organic dye sensitizers with different acceptor and anchoring groups, and systematically investigated their optoelectronic properties for efficient dye sensitized solar cell applications. Particularly, we have focused on the effects of anchoring groups on the dye aggregation phenomenon. TDDFT results indicate that the dyes with CSSH anchoring groups exhi...

Three alkoxy-wrapped push-pull porphyrins were designed and synthesized for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) applications. Spectral, electrochemical, photovoltaic and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy properties of these porphyrin sensitizers were well investigated to provide evidence for the molecular design.

The nature of an interfacial structure buried within a device assembly is often critical to its function. For example, the dye/TiO2 that comprises working electrode dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) governs photovoltaic output. These structures have been determined outside DSC device, using ex situ characterization methods; yet, they really should be probed while held since are modulated by envir...

We describe a porphyrin dye-sensitised solar cell utilising a solid state electrolyte containing the I(-)/I(3)(-) redox couple, which yields a performance of 5.3% under moderate light intensity and 4.8% at full sun.

Dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) is the only solar cell that can offer both the flexibility and transparency. Its efficiency is comparable to amorphous silicon solar cells but with a much lower cost. This review not only covers the fundamentals of DSSC but also the related cutting-edge research and its development for industrial applications. Most recent research topics on DSSC, for example, ap...