Globally, the growth rate of the human population is increasing; therefore, the huge demand of energy to fulfill its requirements like vehicles, TVs, computers, ACs, and so forth causes global warming. Therefore, CO₂-free energy is an emergent issue. In this context, solar energy is an alternate of fossil fuels. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), organic thin-film solar cells, quantum dot solar cells, Schottky solar cells, inorganic-organic heterojunction solar cells, and many others have been developed as an efficient, low-cost technology during the last years. In order to improve the performance of solar cells, the sensitizer should absorb photons in the near-IR region as well as over the entire visible region of the solar spectrum, and long-term stability is another serious issue. The purpose of the proposed special issue is to provide all information about light- harvesting materials for bench as well as industrial researcher at one place.

This special issue will contain high-quality research work addressing the latest innovations in nanomaterials research focused on solar cells and synthetic nanomaterials considering the importance of light-harvesting materials to be a core concept in the design of novel generation of solar cells and smart nanomaterials. The special issue is aiming at a broad audience of readers in the field of material sciences, chemistry, physics, and biology. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Dye-sensitized solar cells: organic dye and metal complexes
• Quantum dots solar cells
• Flexible solar cells: polymers
• Light-harvesting conjugated polymers
• Light harvesting and photocatalysis
• Light-harvesting nanomaterials and solar energy conversion
• Bulk heterojunction solar cells (PCBM/P3HT)

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/aoe/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/ according to the following timetable: