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The dye-sensitized nanocrystalline injection solar cell employs transition metal complexes for spectral sensitization of mesoporous TiO₂ films together with suitable redox electrolytes or amorphous organic hole conductors. Light harvesting occurs efficiently over the whole visible and near-IR range due to the very large internal surface area of the films. Judicious molecular engineering allows the photoinduced charge separation to occur quantitatively within a few femtoseconds. The certified overall power conversion efficiency of the new solar cell for AM 1.5 solar radiation stands presently at 10.4%.