Design and development of photoanodes for water-splitting dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical cells

Abstract

Dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) use low-cost materials, feature tunable molecular sensitizers, and exhibit quantum efficiencies near unity. These advantageous features can be exploited in the context of solar water splitting by functionalizing DSSCs with catalysts for water oxidation and reduction. This article will cover the development of photoanodes for water splitting DSSCs from the perspective of water oxidation catalysts, sensitizers, electron transfer mediators, photoanode materials, and system level design. Within each section we will endeavor to highlight critical design elements and how they can affect the efficiency of the overall system.