Plastic dye-sensitized photovoltaic cells and modules based on low-temperature preparation of mesoscopic titania electrodes

Abstract

Recent trend in industries toward the development of thin opto-electronic devices requires flexibility and safety for versatile applications including ubiquitous electric generators. Dye-sensitized mesoporous semiconductor electrodes can be a powerful candidate for fabrication of low-cost flexible photovoltaic devices. This review introduces low-temperature coating methods for fixing mesoporous TiO2 films on conductive plastic electrodes. Characteristics of plastic dye-sensitized solar cells assembled by this technology are also summarized, including outdoor performance of large-area full-plastic modules in comparison with commercial silicon-based solar batteries.