Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Employing a Single Film of Mesoporous TiO2 Beads Achieve Power Conversion Efficiencies Over 10%

Dye-sensitized solar cells employing mesoporous TiO2 beads have demonstrated longer electron diffusion lengths and extended electron lifetimes over Degussa P25 titania electrodes due to the well interconnected, densely packed nanocrystalline TiO2 particles inside the beads. Careful selection of the dye to match the dye photon absorption characteristics with the light scattering properties of the beads have improved the light harvesting and conversion efficiency of the bead electrode in the dye-sensitized solar cell. This has resulted in a solar to electric power conversion efficiency (PCE) of greater than 10% (10.6% for Ru(II)-based dye C101 and 10.7% using C106) for the first time using a single screen-printed titania layer cell construction (that is, without an additional scattering layer).