Towards new efficient dye-sensitised solar cells

The technology to convert sunlight into electric current by employing organic photovoltaic systems has been an issue of an intensive research over the last two decades and nowadays receives an increasing industrial interest. Dye-sensitised solar cells (DSSCs) provide a technically and economically credible alternative to the present well-known p-n junction or thin film photovoltaic devices. In this Perspective, we review the basic concepts of DSSCs and we specifically discuss the recent theoretical research aimed at optimising DSSC's properties, as well as several of the controversial and emerging issues in this field. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2010.