Nanostructured Materials for Highly Efficient Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells: A Review
Nurul Najihah Ishak, Mohamed Sultan Mohamed Ali, Anas Bsoul
Abstract
Abstract Dye‐sensitized solar cell (DSSC) represents an emerging technology in the field of photovoltaics, achieving an impressive efficiency of 36.27% with a tandem structure to date. This performance underscores the potential of DSSC to rival commercially established conventional silicon solar cells in the future. However, the development of DSSC hinges on the selection of suitable materials, particularly for the photoanode layer. Challenges arise from non‐ideal interfaces resulting from inefficient material choices, which hinder effective charge transport and cell stability. Given that light harvesting primarily occurs at the photoanode, it is crucial to understand both fundamental and contemporary research methodologies for anchoring dye molecules to prevent unwanted electron recombination. This review focuses on the progress in selecting photoanode materials and associated strategies. It examines metal oxide semiconductors, and explores the potential of 2D materials, conductive polymer materials and metal‐organic frameworks in solar cells, determining their effectiveness compared to other materials in enhancing DSSC efficiency. Additionally, this review emphasizes the latest research progress on DSSC and identifies less‐explored future directions in the photoanode DSSC field.