Screening Of Natural Dyes For Use In Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

Five natural dyes, extracted from natural materials such as flowers, were used asrnsensitizers to fabricate dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Dye-sensitized solar cellsrn(DSSCs) were fabricated using natural dyes extracted from flowers Amaranthusrncaudatus, Bougainvillea spectabilis, Delonix regia, Nerium oleander, Spathodearncompanulata and a mixture of the extracts. The PEC performance of the DSSCs basedrnon these dyes showed that the fill factors of these DSSCs are mostly higher than 50%,rnthe open circuit voltages (VOC) varied from 0.45 to 0.55 V, and the short circuitrnphotocurrent densities (JSC) ranged from 0.013 to 1.82 mAcm−2. Specifically, a highrnopen circuit voltage (VOC = 0.55 V) and short circuit photocurrent density (JSC = 1.82rnmAcm−2) were obtained from the DSSC sensitized by the ethanol extract of flower ofrnAmaranthus caudatus. The photon to electricity conversion efficiency of the dyesensitizedrnsolar cell (DSSC) sensitized with the ethanol extract of flower ofrnAmaranthus caudatus reached 0.61%. The PEC performances of DSSCs using therndye mixed solutions were also investigated. However, the mixed extract does notrnshow synergistic photosensitization compared to the individual extracts. Instead, therncell sensitized by the flower of Amaranthus caudatus extract extracted with ethanolrnalone showed the best sensitization. The devices showed that an incidentrnmonochromatic photon to current conversion efficiencies (IPCE) varied from 4.7% torn52% illuminated from front side. The results from the IPCE data are consistent withrnthe results from the current density ‒ voltage (J − V) curves.

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