Metal-Free Organic Dyes for NiO-Based Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: Recent Developments and Future Perspectives

The increasing global demand for energy and growing environmental concerns emphasize the crucial role of solar energy as a sustainable and nondepletable resource. Solar cells, particularly dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), have gained prominence due to their efficient conversion of solar power, ecofriendly manufacturing processes, and noteworthy stability. Current research in sustainable energy focuses on transitioning from metal-based to metal-free organic materials. Tandem solar cells, combining n-type and p-type semiconductors sensitized with diverse photoactive dyes, show potential to surpass thermodynamic limits in photon conversion efficiency. Notably, the exploration of n-type DSSCs as photoanodes in tandem architectures is promising. However, the absence of efficient p-type photoactive cathodes remains a significant obstacle. Global research efforts are dedicated to addressing charge recombination issues in NiO-based devices to enhance the efficiency of p-type DSSCs. The success of any DSSC hinges on the selection of dyes/sensitizers with suitable anchoring groups, wide absorption in the visible-NIR region, and a high extinction coefficient. This article comprehensively reviews advancements in developing highly efficient p-type sensitizers, emphasizing their pivotal role in unlocking the full potential of tandem solar cells. This work offers a comprehensive review of recent advancements and challenges in utilizing metal-free organic dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), with a focus on NiO-based photoanodes. It provides valuable insights for researchers and practitioners in the field of renewable energy, particularly those interested in the design and optimization of efficient DSSC materials.image (c) 2024 WILEY-VCH GmbH