The characteristics of perylene acid sensitized tin oxide photovoltaic device with gel polymer system made of a free standing film of poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) as an solid-state electrolyte were studied. The photovoltaic device composed of 2 ITO/perylene Acid-SnO2/gel polymer electrolyte/Pt structure showed a short circuit photocurrent density of 2.5 mA/cm(2), an open circuit photovoltage of 0.28 V, a fill factor of 0.51 and an overall power efficiency of 0.36% under illumination of white Xe light with an intensity of 100 mW/cm(2). The influence of plasticizer additive on the ionic conductivity of gel polymer electrolyte was also studied. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.