Photoelectric Characterization of Dye Sensitized Solar Cells Using Natural Dye from Pawpaw Leaf and Flame Tree Flower as Sensitizers

Mohammed Isah Kimpa, Musa Momoh, Kasim Uthman Isah, Hassan Nawawi Yahya, Muhammed Muhammed Ndamitso

Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria.
Department of Physics, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria.
Department of Physics, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria.
Energy Research Centre, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria.

DOI: 10.4236/msa.2012.35041                

Abstract

Natural dyes from flame tree flower, Pawpaw leaf and their mixtures were used as sensitizers to fabricate dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). The photoelectrochemical performance of the Flame tree flower dye extract showed an open-circuit voltage (V_OC) of 0.50 V, short-circuit current density (J_SC) of 0.668 mA/cm², a fill factor (FF) of 0.588 and a conversion efficiency of 0.20%. The conversion efficiency of the DSSCs prepared by pawpaw leaf extract was 0.20%, with V_OC of 0.50 V; short-circuit current density, J_SC of 0.649 mA/cm² and FF of 0.605. The conversion efficiency for the flame tree flower and pawpaw leaf dye mixture was 0.27%, with V_OC of 0.518 V, J_SC of 0.744 mA/cm² and FF of 0.69. Although the conversion efficiencies, Jsc and the Voc of the prepared dye cells were lower than the respective 1.185%, 7.49 mA/cm² and 0.64V reported for ruthenium, their fill factors (FF) were higher than that of ruthenium (0.497). It was also observed that both the short-circuit current density and the fill factors of the cells were enhanced using mixed dye.

Keywords

Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells; Flame Tree Flower; Pawpaw Leaf; Dye Cocktails; Natural Dyes

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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