Influence of different solvents on the electrical properties of dye-sensitized solar cells

Since their discovery, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have gained huge interest of many researchers. While still showing lower efficiencies than common silicon-based solar cells, they have the advantage of being produced by low-cost, low-toxic materials outside a clean room. This is why a large number of research groups concentrate on developing new materials for all layers of a typical DSSC to gain higher efficiencies and increase longevity. Specifically, the dye has been shown to significantly influence the DSSC performance. Here, we report on the impact of different low-cost, low-toxic solvents—acetone, ethanol, isopropanol, and dimethyl-sulfoxide, applied purely or in combination with water in different ratios—on the resulting DSSC performance, using two anthocyanin-based dyes. We found ethanol and dimethyl-sulfoxide to result in the highest efficiencies of the final DSSCs.