TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Materials: The electrolyte further contains at least one polymer whose main chain is selected from polyethylene oxide, polypropylene oxide, polyacrylic acid esters, polymethacrylic acid esters, polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylamide, polyallylamine, polysilane, polyacrylonitrile, polystyrene, polyvinylpyridine, polyvinylimidazole, polyfluoroethylene and polyvinylidene fluoride, the copolymers comprising two or more of the monomers constituting these homopolymers. The main chain of the polymer is polyacrylonitrile or polyvinylidene fluoride. The polymer is a crosslinked polymer, which is preferably of formula (III):R51 = hydrogen atom, alkyl group or an aryl group;Z51 = monovalent organic group having at least one group selected from a heterocyclic group, a cyano group, a carbonate group, -(CH2CH2O)n52-R52, and -(CH2CH(CH3)O)n53-R53;L51 = -COO-, -OCO-, -CONR54- or -NR54CO-;n51 = 0 or 1;R52, R53 and R54 = hydrogen atom, alkyl group, cycloalkyl group, alkenyl group or an aryl group;n52 and n53 = integer of 1-30;G = repeating unit derived from a compound containing an ethylenically unsaturated group;J = repeating unit derived from a compound containing two or more ethylenically unsaturated groups;d, e and f = weight ratios of the respective repeating units, where d is 5-99 wt %, e is 0-70 wt % and f is 0.5-50 wt %    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Materials: The electrolyte is a gel electrolyte, and it further contains a gelling agent having a molecular weight of 1,000 or less. The gelling agent has at least one amido group in the molecular structure. The semiconductor is a dye-sensitized particular semiconductor. The semiconductor is contained in a semiconductor-containing layer provided on the electrically conductive substrate, and the electrolyte is contained in an electrolyte containing layer. EXAMPLE - Synthesis of compound S-2, which is of formula (II). In 75 ml of methylene chloride were dissolved cyanoacetic acid (25.5 g) and dimethylformamide (0.1 ml), and oxalyl chloride (57.2 g) was slowly added thereto, dropwise, followed by stirring for 30 minutes. The solvent, etc., were evaporated under reduced pressure to obtain 31.1 g (yield: 100 %) of an acid chloride.    In 50 ml of acetonitrile was dissolved 2-furylmethyl alcohol (15.3 g) and acid chloride (15.5 g) was added thereto dropwise, and the mixture was stirred at 50 degreesC for 1 hour. After concentration, the reaction product was purified by column chromatography on silica gel using a 1:2 to 1:1 mixed solvent of ethyl acetate and hexane as an eluant to give 17.0 g of liquid compound S-2.