Plant Seeds-Based Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Monzir S. Abdel-Latif, Taher M. El-Agez, Sofyan A. Taya, Amal Y. Batniji, Hatem S. El-Ghamri

Chemistry Department, Islamic University of Gaza, Gaza, Palestinian Authority.
Physics Department, Islamic University of Gaza, Gaza, Palestinian Authority.

DOI: 10.4236/msa.2013.49063                

Abstract

In this work, we investigate the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on natural dyes extracted from ten different plant seeds. The extracts were characterized by UV-VIS absorption spectra. The solar cells were assembled using a TiO₂ mesoporous film on FTO-coated glass. The photovoltaic properties of the DSSCs were studied under an incident irradiation of 100 mW/cm². The best performance was for the DSSC sensitized with Eruca sativa with a solar energy conversion efficiency of 0.725%. Moreover, the validity of these extracts was compared using two types of semiconductor layers (TiO₂ and ZnO), and finally the photovoltaic properties of one of these dyes were studied using different types of electrolytes.

Keywords

Renewable Energy; Dye Sensitized Solar Cells; Natural Dyes; Plant Seeds

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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