Researchers at the University of Basel have successfully
replaced the rare element iodine in copper-based dye-sensitized solar cells by
the more abundant element cobalt, taking a step forward in the development of
environmentally friendly energy production. The journal «Chemical
Communications» has published the results of these so-called Cu-Co cells.
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) transform light to
electricity. They consist of a semiconductor on which a dye is anchored. This
colored complex absorbs light and through an electron transfer process produces
electrical current. Electrolytes act as electron transport agents inside the
DSCs.