Photonic crystals for sensitized solar cells: Fabrication, properties, and applications

The surging of photovoltaics has witnessed the boost of numerous fascinating approaches to the enhancement of power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of the devices. Coupling photonic crystals (PCs) to photovoltaics is regarded to be effective in photon management and thus PCE enhancement. This review summarizes the recent progress in the fabrication strategies, optical properties, and application fundamentals of PCs for sensitized solar cells, with an emphasis on the relatively new and promising developments. It focuses on the fabrication methods of several major types of PCs that are applicable to sensitized solar cells and their optical properties, as well as the fundamental insights on the role played by the PCs in these solar cells. Also, the advancements in the applications of different types of PCs in various sensitized solar cells, such as liquid-state dye-sensitized solar cells, solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells, quantum-dot sensitized solar cells, and perovskite solar cells, are reviewed. Finally, the future perspectives of PC-based sensitized solar cells are discussed.