New insights into dye-sensitized solar cells with polymer electrolytes

Polymer electrolytes or gel polymer electrolytes are interesting alternatives to substitute liquid electrolytes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). The interest in this research field is growing continuously, reflected in the increase in the number of papers published each year concerning these materials. This feature article presents a brief review of the history and development of polymer electrolytes aiming at applications in DSSC. Recent improvements achieved by modifications of the composition and by introduction of additives such as inorganic nanofillers, organic molecules and ionic liquids are described. The stabilities of DSSC assembled with these materials are also discussed and further improvements that can be introduced to maximize performance of the solar cell, such as photoelectrode modification, will also be presented.