Recent Progress in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Using Nanocrystallite Aggregates

Nanocrystallite aggregates are spherical assemblies of nanometer-sized crystallites and feature a size on the order of sub-micrometers. This paper reports and summarizes recent progress in nanocrystallite aggregates for applications in dye-sensitized solar cells. It emphasizes that nanocrystallite aggregates are a promising class of materials with the capability to generate light scattering, enhance electron transport, retain high specific surface area for dye adsorption, and facilitate electrolyte diffusion while serving as the photoelectrode film of a dye-sensitized solar cell. In the Perspectives section, it is suggested that optimization of the porosity of the aggregates, the facets of nanocrystallites forming the aggregates, and the structure of photoelectrode film could possibly lead to breakthroughs in improving the power conversion efficiency of the current state-of-the-art dye-sensitized solar cells.