Nanostructured perovskite oxides for dye-sensitized solar cells

Since its discovery, the dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) technology with its low-cost, simple fabrication procedure and promising photovoltaic (PV) performance remains a fertile research topic. Most DSSC research is focused on the TiO2, ZnO and other binary metal oxides based photoelectrodes and costly platinum (Pt) based counter electrodes. However, the overall photovoltaic (PV) performance of these traditional DSSCs is still inadequate compared to other standard PV technologies. The nanostructured perovskite oxides (POs) with their easily tunable interesting photophysical properties, higher stability, relatively simple synthesis procedure and high PV performance emerge as the promising alternatives for the binary metal oxide-based photoelectrodes and costly Pt-based counter electrodes. Though there has been significant improvement in inorganic PO photoanode and counter electrode based DSSCs in the last decade, a combined report on it is still missing. This review reports the underlying mechanisms, latest advances, and prospects of the PO photoanodes and counter electrodes, with a particular focus on PO-based transparent conductive electrodes. We have summarized the shortcomings of the conventional DSSCs and highlighted the potentials of POs to overcome those limiting factors, which will guide the rational design of a highly efficient, cost-effective, and stable DSSC.