Efficient dye-sensitized solar cells using mesoporous submicrometer TiO₂ beads

This work reports on mesoporous submicrometer TiO₂ beads as "building blocks" for loading multiple dyes. The multiple dyes separately adsorbed on individual beads can reduce the complications between different dye pairs in close proximity. When combination with zinc porphyrin LW4 and ruthenium complex KW1, the sensitized solar cells give an enhanced light absorption, and hence a high power conversion efficiency of 10.5% is achieved by the judicious consideration of processing parameters, including film nanostructure, proportion of pre-dyed TiO₂ beads, and film thickness.