ABSTRACT
Following their inception in 1985,1-6 dye sensitized mesoscopic solar cell (DSCs), also named Gräetzel cells after their inventor, have emerged over the past two decades as non-conventional contenders to p-n junction inorganic and photovoltaic (PV) devices. The DSC is the only photovoltaic device that uses molecules to absorb photons and convert them to electric charges without the need of excitonic transport. It is also the only solar cell that separates the two functions of light harvesting and charge carrier transport, whereas conventional and all of the other known organic solar cell devices perform both operations simultaneously. In this regard the DSC mimics the primary process in the photosynthetic conversion of solar energy by green plants where chlorophyll molecules absorb sunlight, generating positive and negative charge carriers after photo-excitation. The separation of light absorption and carrier transport achieved by the DSC greatly increases the options for the absorber and charge transport material allowing for attractive new PV cell embodiments of different color and transparency. The realization of light flexible forms is also possible.
