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Fruit extract dyes as photosensitizers in solar cells


Affiliations
1 Department of Organic Colorants, Institute of Color Science and Technology, P.O. Box 16656118481, Tehran, Iran, Islamic Republic of
2 Faculty of Polymer and Color Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, P.O. Box 15875-4413, Tehran, Iran, Islamic Republic of
3 Center of Excellence for Color Science and Technology, Institute of Color Science and Technology, P.O. Box 16656118481, Tehran, Iran, Islamic Republic of
 

Two natural dyes containing anthocyanin were extracted from sour and sweet pomegranate from Iran. Spectrophotometric evaluation of the natural dyes in solution and on a TiO2 substrate was carried out in order to assess changes in the status of the natural dyes. The results show that the natural dyes indicate buthochromic shift on the TiO2 substrates. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were fabricated in order to determine the photovoltaic behaviour of each dye and the mixture of extracts. Such evaluations demonstrate conversion efficiencies of 0.73%, 1.57% and 0.91% for sour pomegranate, sweet pomegranate and mixed extract respectively. Natural dyes are suitable alternative photosensitizers for DSSCs.

Keywords

Anthocyanin, conversion efficiencies, dyesensitized solar cells, natural dye.
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  • Fruit extract dyes as photosensitizers in solar cells

Abstract Views: 443  |  PDF Views: 149

Authors

Mozhgan Hosseinnezhad
Department of Organic Colorants, Institute of Color Science and Technology, P.O. Box 16656118481, Tehran, Iran, Islamic Republic of
Siamak Moradian
Faculty of Polymer and Color Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, P.O. Box 15875-4413, Tehran, Iran, Islamic Republic of
Kamaladin Gharanjig
Center of Excellence for Color Science and Technology, Institute of Color Science and Technology, P.O. Box 16656118481, Tehran, Iran, Islamic Republic of

Abstract


Two natural dyes containing anthocyanin were extracted from sour and sweet pomegranate from Iran. Spectrophotometric evaluation of the natural dyes in solution and on a TiO2 substrate was carried out in order to assess changes in the status of the natural dyes. The results show that the natural dyes indicate buthochromic shift on the TiO2 substrates. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were fabricated in order to determine the photovoltaic behaviour of each dye and the mixture of extracts. Such evaluations demonstrate conversion efficiencies of 0.73%, 1.57% and 0.91% for sour pomegranate, sweet pomegranate and mixed extract respectively. Natural dyes are suitable alternative photosensitizers for DSSCs.

Keywords


Anthocyanin, conversion efficiencies, dyesensitized solar cells, natural dye.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv109%2Fi5%2F953-956