Oligomer ethylene glycol (O-EG) based electrolytes without volatile components were prepared and used in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). The characteristics such as viscosity, ionic conductivity, and ionic activation energy of O-EG based electrolytes including liquid, gel and solid states were investigated and compared. It is found that the gel and solid O-EG electrolytes have two Ea values with the changed phase state by going with the increased temperature, and they can increase the onset of applied voltage for generating dark current in DSSCs as from 0.222 V with liquid O-EG electrolyte to 0.420 V with gel and solid O-EG electrolytes, which results in the enhanced light-to-electricity conversion efficiency from 1.4% with liquid to 1.82% with gel and 1.86% with solid electrolytes. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 120: 2786-2789, 2011