Metal oxide nanostructure and methods of making metal oxide nanostructures are provided. The metal oxide nanostructures can be 1-dimensional nanostructures such as nanowires, nanofibers, or nanotubes. The metal oxide nanostructures can be doped or un-doped metal oxides. The metal oxide nanostructures can be deposited onto a variety of substrates. The deposition can be performed without high pressures and without the need for seed catalysts on the substrate. The deposition can be performed by laser ablation of a target including a metal oxide and, optionally, a dopant. In some embodiments zinc oxide nanostructures are deposited onto a substrate by pulsed laser deposition of a zinc oxide target using an excimer laser emitting UV radiation. The zinc oxide nanostructure can be doped with a rare earth metal such as gadolinium. The metal oxide nanostructures can be used in many devices including light-emitting diodes and solar cells.

Provided are a photoelectric conversion element including an electrically conductive support, a photoconductor layer, a charge transfer layer, and a counter electrode, in which the photoconductor layer has semiconductor fine particles carrying a metal complex dye represented by Formula (1), and at least one of metal complex dyes represented by Formulae (2) and (3), a dye-sensitized solar cell, a dye composition, and an oxide semiconductor electrode.

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In the formulae, M represents a metal ion. Ar.sup.11 to Ar.sup.14 each represent an aryl group or the like. L.sup.1 and L.sup.2 each represent an ethenylene group or the like. R.sup.11 to R.sup.14 each represent an alkyl group or the like. n.sup.11 and n.sup.12 each represent an integer of 0 to 3, and n.sup.13 and n.sup.14 each represent an integer of 0 to 4. X represents NCS or SCN. M.sup.1 and M.sup.2 each represent a proton, a metal cation, or a non-metal cation.

Provided are a method for patterning a mesoporous inorganic oxide film, the method including a step of forming a mesoporous inorganic oxide film using a composition containing inorganic oxide particles; and a step of forming a pattern on the mesoporous inorganic oxide film using an elastic stamp for pattern formation, and then calcining the mesoporous inorganic oxide, and an electronic device including a mesoporous inorganic oxide film that has been patterned by the patterning method.

Photovoltaic devices such as solar cells, hybrid solar cell-batteries, and other such devices may include an active layer disposed between two electrodes. The active layer may have perovskite material and other material such as mesoporous material, interfacial layers, thin-coat interfacial layers, and combinations thereof. The perovskite material may be photoactive. The perovskite material may be disposed between two or more other materials in the photovoltaic device. Inclusion of these materials in various arrangements within an active layer of a photovoltaic device may improve device performance. Other materials may be included to further improve device performance, such as, for example: additional perovskites, and additional interfacial layers.

Photovoltaic devices such as solar cells, hybrid solar cell-batteries, and other such devices may include an active layer disposed between two electrodes. The active layer may have perovskite material and other material such as mesoporous material, interfacial layers, thin-coat interfacial layers, and combinations thereof. The perovskite material may be photoactive. The perovskite material may be disposed between two or more other materials in the photovoltaic device. Inclusion of these materials in various arrangements within an active layer of a photovoltaic device may improve device performance. Other materials may be included to further improve device performance, such as, for example: additional perovskites, and additional interfacial layers.

Various perovskite solar cell embodiments include a flexible metal substrate (e.g., including a metal doped TiO.sub.2 layer), a perovskite layer, and a transparent electrode layer (e.g., including a dielectric/metal/dielectric structure), wherein the perovskite layer is provided between the flexible metal substrate and the transparent electrode layer. Also, various tandem solar cell embodiments including a perovskite solar cell and either a quantum dot solar cell, and organic solar cell or a thin film solar cell.

Various perovskite solar cell embodiments include a flexible metal substrate (e.g., including a metal doped TiO.sub.2 layer), a perovskite layer, and a transparent electrode layer (e.g., including a dielectric/metal/dielectric structure), wherein the perovskite layer is provided between the flexible metal substrate and the transparent electrode layer. Also, various tandem solar cell embodiments including a perovskite solar cell and either a quantum dot solar cell, and organic solar cell or a thin film solar cell.

A photovoltaic cell is provided that enables cost reduction and stable operation with a simple configuration and enhances conversion efficiency by a new technology of forming an energy level in a band gap. In the photovoltaic cell, a substrate, a conductive first electrode, an electromotive force layer, a p-type semiconductor layer, and a conductive second electrode are laminated, electromotive force is generated by photoexciting the electron in the band gap of the electromotive force layer by light irradiation, the electromotive force layer is filled with an n-type metal oxide semiconductor of fine particles coated by an insulating coat, a new energy level is formed in a band gap by photoexcited structural change caused by ultraviolet irradiation, and efficient and stable operation can be performed by providing a layer of an n-type metal oxide semiconductor between the first electrode and the electromotive force layer.

A method of forming an ordered nanorods array in a confined space is used to form a high surface area device where an ensemble of parallel trenches has micrometer dimensions for the width and depth of the trenches, which are decorated with crystalline nanowires radiating from the sidewalls and bases of the trenches. The high surface area device is formed by depositing a conformal crystalline seed coating in the trenches, forming microchannels from these trenches by placing a barrier layer on the open surface of the trenches, contacting the conformal coating with a crystal precursor solution that is caused to flow through the microchannels. In an embodiment, a very high surface area electrode is constructed with ZnO nanowires radiating from the sidewalls and base of trenches formed on a silicon substrate. The device can be a dye-sensitized solar cell.

Photovoltaic devices such as solar cells, hybrid solar cell-batteries, and other such devices may include an active layer disposed between two electrodes. The active layer may have perovskite material and other material such as mesoporous material, interfacial layers, thin-coat interfacial layers, and combinations thereof. The perovskite material may be photoactive. The perovskite material may be disposed between two or more other materials in the photovoltaic device. Inclusion of these materials in various arrangements within an active layer of a photovoltaic device may improve device performance. Other materials may be included to further improve device performance, such as, for example: additional perovskites, and additional interfacial layers.