Fast, non-corrosive redox shuttles for dye-sensitized solar cells based on boron clusters

Boron clusters are investigated as a fast, one-electron outer sphere redox couple in dye-sensitized solar cells. Device performances are optimized to achieve power conversion efficiencies of ∼1%. Atomic layer deposition is further used to conformally deposit insulating metal oxides as barrier layers on the nanoparticulate titania photoanodes to increase charge lifetimes, and effectively enhance current densities and open-circuit potentials. The use of gold and silver as alternative counterelectrodes are also explored and discussed for this new, non-corrosive shuttle.