In its search for new technologies for solar energy that can produce lower-cost electricity, Smith-Diatom is developing a new way to make dye-sensitive solar cells, in which photons strike light-sensitive dyes  The process uses diatoms, which are unicellular algae that have silicon shells with a complex structure  First, the organic material is removed, and then the shells are coated with a titanium dioxide film that acts as a semiconductor
The diatoms' structure results in more photon activity and thus more efficient production of electricity than with current dye-sensitized solar cells, which in turn lowers the cost
The production of dye-sensitive solar cells primarily uses materials that do not harm the environment.