Nano Energy (2012) 1, 12

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journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/nanoenergy

NEWS AND OPINIONS

New dye-sensitized solar cell breaks efciency record

Cordelia Sealy
Researchers from Switzerland and China have set a new record in the power conversion efciency of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs), which could make the technology competitive with other kinds of solar cells [A. Yella et al., Science 334 (2011) 629]. DSCs use a dye sensitizer moleculeRu is the current standardto absorb light and inject an electron into the conduction band of a wide band gap semiconductor such as TiO2. An electrolyte solution containing a redox mediator, usually based on I ions, regenerates an electron to donate back to the dye. The system, therefore, keeps light absorption and charge transport activities separate, which should make DSCs easier and cheaper to manufacture. But Ru is an expensive rare metal and devices have been hampered from achieving high efciencies by recombination of charge carriers before they reach the collection electrodes.    Michael Grtzel of the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de a Lausanne and colleagues from National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan and National Chiao Tung University have found a way around these limitations with a Zn porphyrin dye and a Co ion complex based redox electrolyte. The combination of the donorp-bridgeacceptor (DpA) Zn porphyrin dye (designated YD2-o-C8) and the Co(II/III)tris(bipyridyl)-based redox electrolyte boosts power conversion efciency of DSCs to 12.3% (Fig. 1). The devices can even achieve 13.1% efciency under lower solar intensity conditions. Despite efforts to nd a better redox couple over the last decade, the highest recorded power conversion efciency for DSCs was, until now, 11.1%. The new porphyrin-based dye with an additional cosensitizer (denoted Y123) boosts light absorption across the whole visible spectrum and achieves incident photon to electron conversion efciencies of 490%. The researchers have also added alkoxy chains to the molecules to create a barrier to recombination between electrons in the TiO2 and holes in the Co complex. Writing in an accompanying Perspectives article, Michael D. McGehee of Stanford University [M.D. McGehee, Science

Figure 1 Green porphyrin sensitized, transparent, high-efciency solar module. [Courtesy of Michael Grtzel.] a

334 (2011) 607] argues that adding energy relay dyes, which can absorb infrared light, and new light-trapping techniques could push the efciency of DSCs towards 15%. Already, the theoretical maximum efciency of Grtzel cells is pushing a 30% thanks to the new redox-dye combination, putting them ahead of traditional Si solar cells. It is not only a record efciency but it is also a game changer since it opens up a plethora of new possibilities for materials development and materials combinations, adds Anders Hagfeldt of Uppsala University.
E-mail address: cordelia.sealy@googlemail.com 2211-2855/$ - see front matter doi:10.1016/j.nanoen.2011.11.005