Bio-inspired multi-scale structures in dye-sensitized solar cell

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) provide a technique and economic alternative concept to present p-n junction photovoltaic devices. For a DSSC, light is absorbed by a sensitizer, which is anchored to the surface of a wide band semiconductor. Charge separation takes place at the interface via photo-induced electron injection from the dye into the conduction band of the semiconductor. Nanocrystalline oxide semiconductor photo-anode films play an important role in photo-electrical conversion efficiency of DSSCs. In this review, we summarize the recent advances of multi-scale structures of DSSCs in the view of bio-inspired materials and analyze the influence factors of a variety of multi-scale structures on photoelectrical conversion in DSSCs, which will provide a strategy for structure design on the novel solar cell. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.