Molecular Designs and Syntheses of Organic Dyes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on organic dyes adsorbed on nanocrystalline TiO2 electrodes have received considerable attention because of their high incident solar light-to-electricity conversion efficiency and low cost of production. A number of organic dyes have so far been developed, and the relationship between their chemical structures and the photovoltaic performances of DSSCs based on the dyes has been examined. To create high-performance DSSCs, it is important to develop effective organic dye sensitizers, which should be optimized for the chemical structures to possess good light-harvesting features, to provide good electron communication between the dyes and a TiO2 electrode, and to control the molecular arrangements on the TiO2 electrode. The aim of this microreview is to highlight the design and synthesis of organic dyes for DSSCs based on recent work of organic chemists. ((C) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)