Photoinduced absorption (PIA) spectroscopy was used to investigate dye-sensitized electrodes and solar cells under illumination conditions comparable to sunlight. In the absence of redox electrolyte, cis-Ru (dcbpy)(2)(NCS)(2)-sensitized nanostructured TiO2 films show a long-lived photoinduced charge-separation (oxidized dye molecules/injected electrons in TiO2), with a lifetime of about 10(-3) s under full sun illumination. The PIA spectrum of a complete dye-sensitized cell is due to electrons in TiO2 and iodine radicals (12) in the electrolyte. The lifetime of this charge-separated state at open-circuit conditions was determined to be 0.15 s (0.27 sun illumination). (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.