Photovoltaic materials manufacturer Dyesol Ltd. has chosen Sigma-Aldrich Corp. of St. Louis, Mo., as its global distributor. The agreement extends a previous alliance focused on organometallic dyes and brings greater exposure to Dyesol’s complete line of products. Sigma-Aldrich manufactures and distributes chemicals, biochemicals and other products to research and applied labs, as well as in industrial and commercial markets. Dyesol develops dye solar cell and solid-state dye solar cell materials, third-generation photovoltaic technology that can be applied to glass, metal, polymers or cement. This building-integrated photovoltaic technology has lower embodied energy in manufacture, produces stable electrical current and performs better in low light conditions than first- and second-generation photovoltaics, according to the company. The key material layers include a hybrid organic-inorganic halide-based perovskite light absorber, a nanoporous metal oxide of titanium oxide and an organic semiconductor. Light striking the absorber promotes an electron into the excited state, followed by a rapid electron transfer and collection by the titanium layer. Meanwhile, the remaining positive charge is transferred to the organic semiconductor, generating electrical current. For more information, visit www.dyesol.com.