A system approach to molecular solar cells

This paper gives an overview of the research and development of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC) within the Swedish research program 'Angstrom Solar Center'. A path towards low production cost is the development of a continuous process, which allows the production of solar cells in large volumes and with a high productivity. We have developed a deposition method for the production of the mesoporous TiO2, electrode layer that is based on compression of a powder film at room temperature. This technique allows us to use flexible substrates-a prerequisite fora continuous process. A novel interconnect technology, compatible with a continuous production process, is described. Stability data of plastic DSC, exposed to indoor light for more than 10,000 h, demonstrates the possibility for the technology to be explored for various types of indoor applications. Optimization of the DSC is a challenging task as it is a complex highly interacting molecular system. A system approach is proposed, where the complete DSC is investigated with a series of measurement techniques ('toolbox') that allows the study of the internal processes under relevant conditions. Two examples of such techniques are given. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.