Nineteen years have passed since the original paper by Brian
O'Regan and Michael Grätzel was published in Nature in 1991.
These scientists from the Lausanne Swiss Federal Institute of
Technology were the first to demonstrate a device capable of a
sort of ‘artificial photosynthesis' for producing electricity.
In their devices, as in the leaves of trees, a dye converts
sunlight into another form of energy. These devices, known as
‘dye-sensitized solar cells', or DSSCs, are actively
investigated by universities, public research centres and
private companies throughout the world. The public knows little,
if nothing, about them. However, given the decision of US
President Obama to boost research on renewable energies, it is
probable that this solar technology will quickly become popular.
One reason for its potential popularity is that, until now, it
is the cheapest and it demonstrates the most favourable
energetic balance. (Today's DSSC modules will have produced
after 1-year of use the same amount of energy spent