Interfacial Electron Transfer in Dye Sensitised Nanocrystalline TiO2 Films

Abstract

The sensitisation of wide band gap semiconductors to visible irradiation by the adsorption of dyes to their surface is of widespread technological importance. Recently photoelectrochemical solar cells have been developed based upon dye sensitised nanocrystalline titanium dixoide (TiO2) thin films. These devices have already achieved >10% energy conversion efficiencies, and are now in commercial production. High sensitisation efficiencies have, however, been achieved experimentally only for a very few dye/semiconductor systems and this is one of principal limitations of further technological development.