The research team led by Professor Shin Myung-hoon at Korea Aerospace University, in collaboration with the research teams of Dr. Song Myung-kwan from the Energy and Environmental Materials Research Division and Dr. Lee Hee-jung from the Convergence and Composite Materials Research Division at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), as well as Professor Lee Hyung-woo at Pusan National University, has developed a technology that reduces the dye adsorption time—a key manufacturing step for fiber-shaped solar cells—from 16 hours to just 30 minutes, a reduction of approximately 97%.

Fiber-shaped solar cells are next-generation energy devices that are as thin and flexible as thread, allowing them to be incorporated into fabrics or woven into textiles. Dye-sensitized solar cells, which generate electricity by absorbing light through dyes, are attracting attention as power sources for smart clothing and wearable electronic devices because they are lightweight and flexible. However, conventional manufacturing methods required electrodes to be immersed in a dye solution for approximately 16 hours to ensure sufficient dye molecules were adsorbed onto their surfaces, making mass production difficult. The research team shortened the process by combining a titanium-based metal-organic framework (Ti-MOF) with an electrochemical dye adsorption technique.