Panchromatic engineering for dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract

The dye-sensitized mesoscopic solar cell has been intensively investigated as a promising photovoltaic cell. Its ecological and economical fabrication processes make it attractive and credible alternative to conventional photovoltaic systems. In contrast to the latter design, the DSC approach separates tasks of light absorption and charge transport. The primary step of light absorption is performed by a sensitizer anchored to the surface of a wide band gap semiconductor. In order to reach a high conversion efficiency, the first requirement is that the sensitizer should absorb as much as possible of the incoming sunlight. Strategies for achieving panchromatic response in dye-sensitized mesoscopic solar cells are discussed. © 2011 The Royal Society of Chemistry.