Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) have attracted considerable interest as a low-cost alternative to silicon solar cells. However, before they can be successfully commercialized, their efficiencies must improve.

Tingli Ma and co-workers, Dalian University of Technology, China, have designed a new type of DSC with a multilayered anode. The four layers (TiO₂/dye 1/transferred TiO₂/dye 2) can be prepared by a simple and low-cost film-transfer technique. The use of two dye layers achieved a high efficiency of 11.05 %. The conversion efficiency was improved by 37.6 %, 21.0 %, and 12.1 % compared with tandem DSC and co-sensitized DSC by using mixture and layered adsorption methods under similar conditions.

• A New Type of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell with a Multilayered Photoanode Prepared by a Film-Transfer Technique
  Q. Miao, L. Wu, J. Cui, M. Huang, T. Ma,
  Adv. Mater. 2011.
  DOI: 10.1002/adma.201100820