Recent Developments in Solid‐State Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

Abstract

The dye‐sensitized solar cell, developed in the 1990s, is a non‐conventional solar technology that has attracted much attention owing to its stability, low cost, and device efficiency. Power‐conversion efficiencies of over 11 % have been achieved for devices that contain liquid electrolytes, whereas solid‐state devices that do not require a liquid electrolyte display an overall efficiency of 5 %. Improvement of the efficiency of solid‐state dye‐sensitized solar cells requires optimization of their various components, such as the hole‐transport material, sensitizer, mesoporous TiO₂ film, and the blocking layer. This Minireview highlights the current state of the art and future directions of solid‐state dye‐sensitized solar cell technology.