Advances in Solid-State Hole Transport Materials for Next-Generation Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.38032/scse.2025.3.162Keywords:
Solid-State Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Hole Transport Materials, Charge TransportAbstract
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) offer a promising alternative to conventional photovoltaic technologies due to their low cost, simple fabrication process, and potential for high efficiency. This review focuses on recent advancements in solid-state hole transport materials (HTMs) for next-generation DSSCs. Traditionally, DSSCs rely on dye molecules adsorbed on a semiconductor surface to harvest light and inject excited electrons into the conduction band. A critical challenge has been developing efficient HTMs to regenerate the dye molecules after electron injection. While liquid electrolyte-based DSSCs suffer from issues such as solvent evaporation, leakage, and stability concerns, solid-state HTMs have emerged to address these problems while maintaining high power conversion efficiencies. This review examines the evolution of solid-state HTMs, exploring materials such as organic small molecules, polymers, inorganic materials, and coordination metal complexes. Key breakthroughs in HTM design are highlighted, including improvements in conductivity, pore infiltration, and interface engineering, which have helped overcome challenges like poor pore filling and high recombination rates. Additionally, the review addresses the growing focus on low-cost, environmentally friendly HTMs and scalable fabrication techniques. Despite these advances, critical challenges remain, such as better understanding interfacial dynamics and developing HTMs with enhanced conductivity and stability. The review concludes with a discussion of future research directions, providing valuable insights for advancing the commercialization of efficient solid-state DSSCs.
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