We review the concepts and methods of modeling of the dye-sensitized solar cell, starting from fundamental electron transfer theory, and using phenomenological transport-conservation equations. The models revised here are aimed at describing the components of the current-voltage curve of the solar cell, based on small perturbation experimental methods, and to such an end, a range of phenomena o...

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have been drawing great attention recently as a material for solar energy conversion due to their versatile optical and electrical properties. The QD-sensitized solar cell (QDSC) is one of the burgeoning semiconductor QD solar cells that shows promising developments for the next generation of solar cells. This article focuses on recent developments in QDSCs, inc...

High photovoltaic efficiency is one of the most important keys to the commercialization of dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) in the quickly growing renewable electricity generation market. The heart of the DSSC system is a wide bandgap semiconductor based photoelectrode film that helps to adsorb dye molecules and transport the injected electrons away into the electrical circuit. However, charg...

We have prepared single crystalline SnO2 and ZnO nanowires and polycrystalline TiO2 nanotubes (1D networks) as well as nanoparticle-based films (3D networks) from the same materials to be used as photoanodes for solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells. In general, superior photovoltaic performance can be achieved from devices based on 3-dimensional networks, mostly due to their higher short circ...

Phthalocyanines with high peripheral substitutions and free from potential contamination by regioisomers have been synthesized and evaluated as photosensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cell applications. Each of the sterically hindered precursor compounds was accomplished by Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions with the arylchloride and corresponding boronic acids. Metal free phthalocyanine...

The Dye-sensitized nanocrystaline TiO2 solar cell (nc-DSC) developed by Grätzel [1] has the potential to reach low costs in future outdoor power applications. In addition, due to its expected ease of production and possibilities to adjust its appearance, the potential for application is very broad. When plastic foil is used as a substrate for the nc-DSC the production and application possibilit...

Improved Photocurrent of a Poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-ClO4 /TiO2 Thin Filmmodifi ed Counter Electrode for Dye-sensitized Solar Cells Sho Sakurai, Yuka Kawamata, Masashi Takahashi and Koichi Kobayashi 2* 1 Department of Chemistry and Energy Engineering, Tokyo City University, Tokyo 158-8557, JAPAN 2 Research Center for Energy and Environmental Science, Advance Research Laboratory, Tokyo C...

In the standard solar cell technologies such as crystalline silicon and cadmium telluride, increments of temperature in the cell produce large variations in the energy conversion efficiency, which decreases at a constant rate. In dye solar cells the efficiency remains roughly constant with a maximum at around 30-40 °C and further decays above this temperature. In this work, the origin of this c...