TITLE:
The Effect of Electrolyte on Dye Sensitized Solar Cells Using Natural Dye from Mango (M. indica L.) Leaf as Sensitizer
AUTHORS:
T. J. Abodunrin, O. Obafemi, A. O. Boyo, T. Adebayo, R. Jimoh
KEYWORDS:
Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Dye Sensitizer, Electrolytes, M. indica L., Photocurrent Density, Fill Factor
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Materials Physics and Chemistry,
Vol.5 No.6,
June
16,
2015
ABSTRACT: Dye-sensitized
solar cells (DSSC) were fabricated with mango leaf dye extracts as natural dye
sensitizers at pH value of 5.20 and temperature of 18.1°C. Methanol was used as
dye-extracting solvent. DSSCs from dye extract of M. indica L. with KMnO4 electrolyte had the highest photocurrent density of 1.3 mA/cm2 and
fill factor FF of 0.46 for the sun at its peak. Potassium permanganate (KMnO4)
had a photocurrent density of 1.3 mA/cm2 and FF of 0.8 at sundown.
Potassium Iodide (KI), Potassium Bromide (KBr) and Mercury Chloride (HgCl2)
electrolytes had 0.2 mA/cm2, 0.08 mA/cm2 and 0.02 mA/cm2 photocurrent densities respectively. The fill factors of 0.09, 0.03 and 0.003
respectively for sun overhead while 0.08 mA/cm2, 0.01 mA/cm2 and 0.01 mA/cm2 were the values of photocurrent densities
respectively at sundown. The fill factors were 0.02, 0.0006 and 0.003
respectively at sundown. The maximum power Pmax of the DSSCs were
0.5 mW/cm2, 0.10 mW/cm2, 0.01 mW/cm2 and 0.012
mW/cm2 respectively at 1300 h at 1630 h 0.9 mW/cm2, 0.14
mW/cm2, 0.005 mW/cm2 and 0.0015 mW/cm2 respectively.