METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING POROUS ZINC OXIDE ELECTRODE AND DYE-SENSITIZED SOLAR CELL

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for producing a highly capable porous metal oxide electrode with no need of heat treatment at a high temperature or severe reaction conditions such as a strong acid, a strong base, or the like and also provide a dye-sensitized solar cell excellent in various capabilities such as photoelectric conversion efficiency, short-circuiting photoelectric current, open circuit voltage, and curvilinear factor. SOLUTION: The porous metal oxide electrode is produced by a method involving a step of immersing a fine particle film of zinc oxide formed on a substrate in an immersion liquid containing a polar solvent as a main component. The immersion liquid contains preferably at least one compound selected from a group consisting of metal oxides, metal salt compounds, and metal alkoxides. Metal elements contained in the metal oxides, metal salt compounds, and metal alkoxides are zinc and metal elements having a band gap wider than that of zinc oxide in form of their oxides and a conduction band level more basic than that of zinc oxide. The dye-sensitized solar cell comprises a photoelectrode obtained by depositing a sensitizing dye in the porous zinc oxide electrode. COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT