TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ELECTRONICS - Preferred Apparatus: The photoelectric conversion apparatus has a transparent substrate (2) having a transparent electrically conductive film (3), and semiconductor layer and electrolyte layer provided between electroconductive substrate comprising counter electrode. An electrical energy is produced between transparent electrically conductive film and electroconductive substrate by photoelectric conversion.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Compound: The sensitizing dye contains acidic-group-containing porphyrin dimer of formula (2).R1-R20=same as defined above;M=metal group, preferably zinc, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, thorium, uranium, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, manganese, technetium, rhenium, iron, ruthenium, osmium, cobalt, rhodium, iridium, nickel, palladium, platinum, copper, silver, gold, cadmium, mercury, aluminum, gallium, indium, titanium, silicon, germanium, tin, lead, arsenic, antimony and/or bismuth;andR21-R24=(un)substituents, preferably halogen, mercapto, amino, nitro, nitrosyl, cyano, carbonyl, thiocyanate, isothiocyanate, carboxyl, sulfonic acid group, hydroxyl group, (un)substituted alkyl, (un)substituted aryl, (un)substituted alkoxyl, (un)substituted aryloxy, (un)substituted alkylthio, (un)substituted arylthio, (un)substituted alkylamino, (un)substituted aryl amino, (un)substituted carboxylate-ester group, (un)substituted carboxylic acid amide, (un)substituted sulfonic-acid ester, (un)substituted sulfonic-acid amide, (un)substituted carbonyl, (un)substituted silyl and/or(un)substituted siloxy group.Preferred Layer: The semiconductor layer consists of oxide semiconductor supported with sensitizing dye. Preferred Definitions:    R1-R20=halogen, mercapto, amino, nitro, nitrosyl, cyano, carbonyl, thiocyanate, isothiocyanate, carboxyl, sulfonic acid group, hydroxyl group, (un)substituted alkyl, (un)substituted aryl, (un)substituted alkoxyl, (un)substituted aryloxy, (un)substituted alkylthio, (un)substituted arylthio, (un)substituted alkylamino, (un)substituted aryl amino, (un)substituted carboxylate-ester group, (un)substituted carboxylic acid amide, (un)substituted sulfonic-acid ester, (un)substituted sulfonic-acid amide, (un)substituted carbonyl, (un)substituted silyl and/or(un)substituted siloxy group, and acidic substituent, such as carboxyl group, sulfonic acid group, hydroxyl group or 4-carboxy phenyl group.    EXAMPLE - Ruthenium porphyrin complex (Ru(II)(CO)) (18 mg) was dissolved in toluene. 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone and scandium trifluoromethane sulfonate were added and reacted at 60degreesC for 20 minutes. The obtained mixture was diluted by methanol and tetrahydrofuran. Solvent was removed and product was dissolved in methylene chloride/ethyl acetate. Flat surface type porphyrin dimer (5 mg) having porphyrin rings coupled with carbon type mezzo-sopranos and carbon of beta position by mezzo-sopranos-beta bond was obtained with yield of 30%. A semiconductor layer was obtained using the obtained porphyrin dimer. A solar cell having semiconductor layer and electrolyte layer between counter electrodes was manufactured. The solar cell had high photoelectric conversion efficiency and excellent durability.