Advances in high efficiency dye sensitized solar cells based on Ru(ii) free sensitizers and a liquid redox electrolyte

Abstract

Dye sensitized solar cells (DSCs) are one of the most promising cost effective emerging technologies for clean energy generation using solar radiation. Though many of the highest efficiencies have been associated with Ru(II) polypyridyl sensitizers, Ru(II) free sensitizers have made great progress recently and are now serious alternatives. Indeed the highest efficiency recorded in the literature of 12.05% under standard 100 mW cm⁻² illumination was obtained using Ru(II) free sensitizers. In this highlight, recent progress in DSCs based on sensitizers such as porphyrins, phthalocyanines, squarines, indolenes, perylenes and donor–(π bridge)–acceptor (D–π–A) dyes is discussed.