Recent advances in small molecular, non-polymeric organic hole transporting materials for solid-state DSSC

Laboratoire de Physicochimie des Polymères et des Interfaces, Université de Cergy-Pontoise, 5 mail Gay Lussac, Neuville-sur-Oise, 95031 Cergy-Pontoise Cedex, France

^a e-mail: thanh-tuan.bui@u-cergy.fr
^b e-mail: fabrice.goubard@u-cergy.fr

Received: 31 December 2012
Accepted: 28 June 2013
Published online: 2 October 2013

Abstract

Issue from thin-film technologies, dye-sensitized solar cells have become one of the most promising technologies in the field of renewable energies. Their success is not only due to their low weight, the possibility of making large flexible surfaces, but also to their photovoltaic efficiency which are found to be more and more significant (>12% with a liquid electrolyte, >7% with a solid organic hole conductor). This short review highlights recent advances in the characteristics and use of low-molecular-weight glass-forming organic materials as hole transporters in all solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells. These materials must feature specific physical and chemical properties that will ensure both the operation of a photovoltaic cell and the easy implementation. This review is an english extended version based on our recent article published in Matériaux & Techniques 101, 102 (2013).