In the present work, we report the incorporation of 2,2'-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) in poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) along with the redox couple (I-/I-3(-)). When ARTS, a pi-electron donor, is used to dope PVDF, the polymer composite forms brush-like nanotubes and has been successfully used as a solid polymer electrolyte in dye-sensitized solar cells. Under the given conditions, the electrolyte composition forms nanotubes while it is doped with ABTS, a pi-electron donor. With this new electrolyte, a dye-sensitized solar cell was fabricated using N3 dye adsorbed over TiO2 nanoparticles as the photoanode and conducting carbon cement coated FTO as counter electrode. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.