TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - CERAMICS AND GLASS - Preferred Component: The electrically conductive substrate comprises a glass plate on which an electrically conductive layer comprising indium oxide or tin (IV) oxide is laminated, or an electrically conductive metal foil or plate, or an electrically conducting ceramic, or a ceramic coated with an electrical conductor, or an electrically conductive polymer.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Component: The oxide semiconductor comprises an oxide of a metal from titanium, niobium, zinc, tin, zirconium, yttrium, lanthanum, tantalum, tungsten, hafnium, strontium, indium, vanadium, chromium or molybdenum; and/or a perovskite oxide from strontium titanate or calcium titanate. The oxide semiconductor comprises titania or metal oxide coating. The coating comprises alumina, silica, zirconia, or niobium oxide. The oxide semiconductor comprises titania coated with alumina. The dye optionally further comprises a metal. It may comprise ruthenium or osmium complex.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Dye: The dye comprises a coumarin, a cyanine, a merocyanine, a polymethine, a perylene, a squaraine, a porphyrin, or a phthalocyanine.Preferred Silanizing Agent: The silanizing agent is alkylsilanes of formula (I) ; bis(trisilyl)alkanes of formula (II); tris(trisilyl)alkanes of formula (III); tetrakis(trisilyl)alkanes of the formula R1(Si(OR2)3)4; or functionalized silylalkanes with charged groups of formula (IV) or formula (V).(I) R1nSi(OR2)4-n(II) R1(Si(OR2)3)2(III) R1(Si(OR2)3)3(IV) (R2O)3Si(CH2)mPO3-X+(V) (R2O)3Si(CH2)mNR33+Y-n = 1-3;R1, R2 = as defined above;X = tetraalkylammonium;m = 2-16; andR3 = alkyl.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Component: The silanizing agent is silylated polyethylenes of the formula -(CH2CH2)p-(CH2CH(SiR1n(OR2)3-n))x- (I).R1, R2, n = as defined above; andp, x = 4-100. SPECIFIC COMPOUNDS - The silanizing agent is n-hexyltrimethoxysilane, n-octyltrimethoxysilane, isooctyltrimethoxysilane, 2,4,4-trimethylpentyltrimethoxysilane, octadecyltrimethoxysilane, hexadecyltrimethoxysilane, dodecyltrimethoxysilane, 1,8-bis(triethoxysilyl)octane, 1,10-bis(trimethoxysilyl)decane, 1,12-bis(trimethoxysilyl)dodecane, 1,14-bis(trimethoxysilyl)tetradecane, 1,16-bis(trimethoxysilyl)hexadecane, or 2-(perfluorohexylethyl)trimethoxysilane.    EXAMPLE - Plate assemblies were prepared comprising ruthenium 535 type dye and ionic liquid electrodes. The titania electrode was silanized using n-octyltrimethoxysilane (10 vol.% in dry toluene). The results showed illuminated plate assemblies of improved power efficiency.