Towards Optimization of Materials for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) have received widespread attention owning to their low cost, easy fabrication, and relatively high solar-to-electricity conversion efficiency. Based on the nanocrystalline TiO2 electrode, Ru-polypyridyl-complex dye, liquid electrolyte with I-/I-3(-) redox couple, and Pt counter electrode, DSCs have already exhibited an efficiency above 11% and offer an appealing alternative to conventional solar cells. However, further improvements in the efficiency and stability are still required to drive forward practical application. These improvements require the cooperative optimization of the component materials, structures, and processing techniques. In this Research News article, recent progress in DSCs made by our group are reviewed, including some novel approaches to the synthesis of solid-state and environmentally friendly electrolytes, the fabrication of alternative low-cost nanostructural electrodes, and the control of recombination at the interfaces.