Electrolyte composition, photosensitized solar cell using said electrolyte composition, and method of manufacturing photosensitized solar cell

A photosensitized solar cell, comprising:

• an n-type semiconductor electrode having a surface on which a dye is adsorbed;
• a counter substrate arranged to face said n-type semiconductor electrode;
• a conductive film formed on that surface of the counter substrate which faces the n-type semiconductor electrode;
• and
• a gel electrolyte serving to relay the charge transfer between said conductive film and said n-type semiconductor electrode, and said gel electrolyte containing a polymer of an onium salt formed between a halogen-containing compound and a compound containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of N, P and S, and an electrolyte containing at least one imidazolium salt selected from the group consisting of 1-methyl-3-propyl imidazolium iodide, 1-methyl-3-isopropyl imidazolium iodide, 1-methyl-3-butyl imidazolium iodide, 1-methyl-3-isobutyl imidazolium iodide and 1-methyl-3-sec-butyl imidazolium iodide.

A method of manufacturing a photosensitized solar cell comprising an n-type semiconductor electrode having a surface on which a dye is adsorbed, a counter substrate arranged to face said n-type semiconductor electrode, a conductive film formed on that surface of said counter substrate which faces the n-type semiconductor electrode, and a gel electrode serving to relay the charge transfer between the conductive film and the n-type semiconductor electrode, said method comprising the steps of:

• allowing an electrolyte composition to be injected into a gap between the n-type semiconductor electrode and the conductive film and to permeate said n-type semiconductor electrode, and said electrolyte composition comprises an electrolyte containing at least one imidazolium salt selected from the group consisting of 1-methyl-3-propyl imidazolium iodide, 1-methyl-3-isopropyl imidazolium iodide, 1-methyl-3-butyl imidazolium iodide, 1-methyl-3-isobutyl imidazolium iodide and 1-methyl-3-sec-butyl imidazolium iodide, a halogen-containing compound dissolved in said electrolyte and a compound dissolved in said electrolyte and containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of N, P and S, and said compound being capable of forming an onium salt together with said halogen-containing compound;
• and
• forming a polymer of an onium salt between said compound having said at least one element and said halogen-containing compound so as to allow said electrolyte composition to gel, thereby obtaining a gel electrolyte.