DSSCs are important because the world needs better energy sources to fuel humankind’s energy needs, many of which can't be sustained by fossils such as natural gas, coal, etc. These sources are non-renewable, which leaves renewable energies, which are energy resources that can be used over and over again for years. The two biggest renewable energy sources right now are nuclear and solar (Nazeeruddin, Baranoff & Gratzel, 2011). Nuclear energy is still limited by the amount of available uranium in the earth, leaving only solar energy. Solar energy is quite renewable, as the sun will long outlast mankind’s ability to collect energy from it, making it a true renewable energy source. Solar panels are quite expensive, however, and don’t convert nearly enough energy to make up for their fabrication costs. So researchers turned to plants’ organic dyes, which are used in substitution for synthetic dyes on regular solar panels to alleviate this problem.

Many dye-sensitized solar cells that have been studied are small, but this allows for study  of the inner electronics and measurement of efficiency much easier. The inner workings of a solar cell are very intricate; they use a p and n junction, which is a semiconductor that allows control of the flow of any current, in order to achieve the flow of electrons which is just called current. A p and n junction, or a semiconductor, is comprised of p-and n-type silicon. N-type silicon has phosphorus atoms placed throughout its molecular structure providing a free electron to the whole structure making that silicon slightly negatively charged. On the other hand, p-type silicon has boron atoms in place of some silicon atoms. This creates an area where there is no electron present to neutralize the charge, leaving an area called a ‘hole’ and making that whole molecular structure slightly positively charged. When putting these two silicon variations in series, a p-type then n-type then p-type (PNP configuration) or a n-type then p-type then n-type (NPN configuration), one can control the flow of electricity. For example, one can also use light to free electrons in a material that are then attracted to the p-type layer and go through the circuit and create a current. This concept is the basis of all solar panels, which connect that system to a machine that needs power and a material that, when hit by light, frees electrons in the material. The materials, for the latter, are quite expensive to make and are generally made of silicon, which can be used in the actual working parts of the diode. In DSSCs, organic dyes replace the material that frees the electrons which, in turn, reduces waste products and non-decomposing materials and making the need for silicon lower. There is reason to believe that improvements in the process of dyeing DSSCs can make them more efficient, particularly in this area.