Efficient Cosensitization Strategy for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

The challenge of increasing the photocurrent of a dye solar cell device by acting on the spectral response is approached herein. Cosensitization of nanocrystalline titania photoanodes by using two complementary dyes is investigated considering the dyeing time as an additional parameter for the optimization of the cosensitization process. We find that the characteristics of the cosensitized cell can outperform those of the cells made with each single dye. This effect is related to the reduction of the molecular stacking of one of the dyes, which quenches electron transfer to TiO2. Cosensitization results are also related to the cell transparency. (C) 2012 The Japan Society of Applied Physics