Abstract
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have attracted a substantial interest in the last 30 years for the conversion of solar power to electricity. An important component is the redox mediator effecting the transport of charge between the photoelectrode and the dark counter electrode (CE). Among the possible mediators, metal coordination complexes play a prominent role and at present are incorporated in several types of devices with a power conversion efficiency exceeding 10%. The present review, after a brief introduction to the operation of DSSCs, discusses at first the requirements for a successful mediator. Subsequently, the properties of various classes of inorganic coordination complexes functioning as mediators relevant to DSSC operation are presented and the operational characteristics of DSSC devices analyzed. Particular emphasis is paid to the two main classes of efficient redox mediators, the coordination complexes of cobalt and copper; however other less efficient but promising classes of mediators, notably complexes of iron, nickel, manganese and vanadium, are also presented.
Highlights
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCS) have attracted a lot of interest in the last 30 years for the conversion of solar energy to electrical energy
The redox mediator is an essential component of a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC)
At present the 14% solar-to-electrical power conversion efficiency (PCE) record has been obtained with this mediator
Summary
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCS) have attracted a lot of interest in the last 30 years for the conversion of solar energy to electrical energy. An entirely new research front in the field of semiconductor photo-electrochemistry was opened up by the Grätzel group at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in Lausanne, which pioneered the study of light induced electron and energy transfer reactions in mesoscopic systems Moser and Grätzel [9] investigated the sensitization of colloidal TiO2 by adsorbed dyes. In their study they demonstrated that the efficient injection of electrons from the photoexcited dye into the TiO2 conduction band is much faster, by orders of magnitude, than the recombination of the latter with the photooxidized dye. AA ccoommpprreehheennssiivvee aaccccoouunntt ooff tthhee ssttaattuuss ooff tthhee fifieelldd uupp ttoo tthhee llaattee 11999900ss iiss pprreesseenntteedd iinn tthhee bbooookk bbyy KKaallyyaannaassuunnddaarraamm [[4455]]
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