Dye-sensitized solar cells: from synthetic dyes to natural pigments

In this chapter, we present an original journey into the field of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) starting from the colors of chemical dyes to that natural ones. The state of the art, design, and fabrication of solar devices based on this appealing natural class of sensitizers will be shown, and their light and the shadow features will be reviewed in deep. Our journey is divided in three parts: a general part where the working principle and the main components of the DSSCs are described, a specific part concerning of photoanode as key component of the DSSCs, and finally a systematic study on the many popular dyes employed as sensitizers for solar energy application.