Dye-sensitized nanostructured tandem cell - first demonstrated cell with a dye-sensitized photocathode

We show that a combination of a dye and a nanostructured NiO thin film on a conducting substrate can form a dye-sensitized photocathode that can be an active part in a tandem dye-sensitized solar cell (TDSC). To exptl. demonstrate a dye-sensitized nanostructured electrode with a p-type behavior we have chosen nanostructured NiO (deposited on F-doped SnO2). The current-voltage characteristics of 3 different types of sandwich-type solar cells are given (a) the cis-di(thiocyanato)-N,N-bis(2,2'-bipyridyl-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid)ruthenium(II)-coated TiO2 photoanode with a platinized glass as counter electrode, (b) the erythrosin B-coated NiO photocathode with the same counter electrode, and (c) the TDSC with the same photoanode and photocathode.