Simplifying the construction of dye-sensitized solar cells to increase their accessibility for community education (original) (raw)
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FABRICATION OF DYE SENSITIZED SOLAR CELL
Dye-sensitized solar cells combine the unique properties of both inorganic and organic compounds. They are potential alternatives for present day p-n junction photovoltaic devices. In this work fabrication of a dye-sensitized solar cell using Black Berry fruit extract as a natural organic dye and TiO 2 semiconductor nanoparticles synthesized through sol-gel method has been reported. Graphite was used as a counter electrode and potassium iodide was used as a charge carrier in the cell. Light form the sun excites the electrons of the organic dye that is coordinated to TiO 2 and the electrons are then injected into TiO 2 nanocrystals. The electrons then flow from TiO 2 coated electrode, through the load and back to the Graphite counter electrode. The counter electrode then donates electrons to the dye completing the circuit. SEM images of synthesized TiO 2 nanoparticles had an average size of 65 nm. An efficiency of 33.45% has been achieved by using Black Berry fruit extract as the dye.
Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Synthesis
The following paper describes the new methods and materials used to produce a traditional Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell and displays and analysis the results produced. This team produced the test cells using TiO 2 as the substrate and Rhuthenium N719 as the dye. A platinum electrolyte was added to the cell prior to the collection of current density and voltage data. The research was conducted as part of the Drexel Smart House, which is a student run organization in Drexel University aimed at sustainable and innovative inventions for potential use at Smart House. Two kinds of TiO 2 were used, handmade and magnetic stirred while two spreading techniques were incorporated, namely, Doctor Blading and Spin Coating. The best efficiency found in this study was 0.88% for a cell spin coated at 100 rotations per minute layered with a single layer of magnetic stirred TiO 2. The other efficiency increasing techniques employed were the use of multiple layers of substrate. Double layered TiO 2 cells were produced, the highest efficiency amongst which was 0.743%, a little lower than the highest, 0.88%.
Construction and Characterization of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
Journal of Materials Science and Engineering B, 2013
This work describes the development of solar cells manufactured with different natural dyes, with the purpose to determine their photoelectrochemical properties, employing for that virtual instrumentation. Data acquisitions and statistical process of the same, are realized through graphical programming software. The system has facilities for measurements, acquisitions and to see permanently in the computer display, information about the performance of the solar cells, as well as environmental parameters such as; temperature and the I-V characteristic curve of the solar cell. This monitoring system pretends to be part of a permanent station for monitoring variables of the manufactured solar cells.
Sensitized solar cells based on natural dyes
We have employed several natural dyes for application in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC). Spinach, beet, red cabbage and strawberry are well known and have been already used. We then checked the opportunity to realize good DSSC with dyes available in Tunisia: Henna and Mallow (Mloukhya). Henna is a herb which has interesting reddish brownish dyeing properties used since antiquity for traditional decoration of skin, hair and fingernails in the Middle East and North Africa. The mallow is a green vegetable which is widely consumed in the same region. The optical absorption of the extracted dyes diluted in ethanol or distilled water were measured using UVeVis spectrophotometer. The absorption in beet and red cabbage is more significant compared to the other dyes. Mallow and henna dyes present a noticeable band in the region 660 nm. Infra-red spectroscopy measurements were done to probe the structure and dynamics in our used dyes. In this paper, we present the steps followed in the making of our solar cells. The DSSC were assembled using two glass plates (supporting electrode and counter electrode) which are coated with transparent conducting oxide (TCO). The counter electrode is coated by a catalyst Pt (Platinum) to speed up the redox reaction with the electrolyte solution. The typical JeV curves of our solar cells under AM 1.5 using a density of power 100 mW/cm 2 were measured. Cells using henna and mallow as dyes present less degradation with time in the photoelectric characteristics. The mallow cell shows a good fill factor of 55% and a noticeable photoelectric conversion efficiency of 0.215%.
Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on ZnO Films and Natural Dyes
International Journal of Materials and Chemistry, 2012
This work emp loys extracts fro m Walnuts, Rhubarb, and Po megranate as natural dyes for fabricat ion of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). ZnO nanoparticles with crystallite mean value 12 n m as confirmed fro m XRD data have been synthesized at pH 12. SEM p icture of the ZnO powder reveals ho mogeneous and well defined nanoparticles with size of about 15 n m. TEM micrograph shows that the powder has a porous agglomerate structure consisting main ly of spherical crystalline particles with about 15-20 n m diameter. ZnO films were deposited on Fluorinated Tin Oxide (FTO) coated glass sheets followed by sintering at 450℃. The samples were sensitized by soaking in the dye solution. A Graphite slab was used as a back electrode, and redo x was employed as an electrolyte. Each cell was illu minated with light intensities in the range 40,000-100,000 Lux to measure the photovoltaic parameters. The experimental results shows that the highest I sc value is obtained fro m the DSSC sensitized with Rhubarb extract while the highest V oc value is obtained from the DSSC sensitized with the Walnuts extract. The P max of the DSSC sensitized by the Walnuts extract is greater than those sensitized by Rhubarb and Po megranate ext racts. Moreover, the open circuit voltage V oc decay was found to closely fo llo w a pseudo single exponential form.
Transstellar Journal , 2019
The stronger thrust on the use of renewable energy by phasing out the dependence on fossil fuels has led to an intensive research in the field of solar photovoltaics with much emphasis on materials and methods that could greatly bring down the cost of solar cells through the incorporation of suitable technologies involving greener materials that are believed to be both nature and pocket friendly. Dye sensitized solar cells are a fast emerging technology trend in the field of utilization of the ever shining bundle of enormous green energy, sun. Recent advances in the field of material science have enabled these cells to compete against the traditional silicon solar cells. The present paper discusses the effect of utilization of the oxides of various other D-group elements in the periodic table such as Manganese Chromium, and the most commonly used Titanium, as the material for the absorption of the dye. The paper also compares the performance of three different natural dyes derived out of spinach, grape and pomegranate. The current work also evaluates the performance of the cell under the application of both solid and liquid electrolyte in the form of fused salt and iodide electrolytes respectively. The fabricated dye sensitized solar cells are grouped and coded for easy recognition and are exposed to sunlight for a particular length of time. The voltage generated is measured with the help of a calibrated multimeter. The results indicate that manganese dioxide used for dye absorption performs at par with titanium dioxide, while chromium trioxide fails miserably in this regard. Also, dark colored dyes generated higher voltage in comparison with light colored dye.
Natural dyes as photo-sensitizer in solar cells
BIBECHANA, 2020
The objective of this research is to employ the natural dyes in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). On account of eco-friendly, renewable, and non-hazardous properties of natural dyes over silicon, a semiconductor, photo-sensitizer in conventional solar cells, cyclohexane extract of Terminalia alata, a natural dye, was employed as photo-sensitizer. The photoanodes ZnO and 5% Al-doped ZnO for DSSCs were developed by spray pyrolysis. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) has shown hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO with lattice constants a = 3.2487 Å and b = 5.1518 Å having particle size 25.85 nm for ZnO and 33.17 nm for Aldoped ZnO. The DSSC properties such as solar conversion efficiency (η), shortcircuit current density (Jsc), open-circuit voltage (Voc), and fill factor (FF) were found to be 0.31%, 2.10 mA/cm 2 , 0.73V, and 45% for ZnO photoanode and 0.37%, 2.25mA/cm 2 , 0.70 V, and 52.10% for 5% Al-doped photoanode
Natural Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Based on Zinc Oxide
2015
2 Abstract— Thin Film of ZnO nanoparticles paste are spread on transparent conducting ITO coated glass using doctor-blade method, the average particle size of about 16.4nm. Natural dyes extracted from pomegranate and spinach were used as sensitizers to fabricate dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The thin films were studied by absorption spectra of all dyes were performed by UV-Visible spectroscopy which showed that the dye absorbed light in the visible region from (200-325)nm for chlorophyll pigment and (500-530)nm for anthocyanin pigment. The optical band gap was found to be 3.5eV. X-Ray diffraction, Atomic Force Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy were also investigated.
— In solar photovoltaic system, the Dye-Sensitized solar cell (DSSC) has been regarded as one promising alternative way for electrical power generation. In this work, DSSCs have been fabricated and characterized, the natural dyes extracted from Amaranthus gangeticus leaves, Basella alba fruits have been used as photo-sensitizer. The mixture of dyes extract from Syzygium cumini and Amaranthus gangeticus has also been used here. The surface morphological study of TiO2 film represents more roughness and crystallity. The nanocrystalline TiO2 film deposited on the SnO2:F (FTO) coated glass substrate has been used as the dye absorber, Carbon Counter Electrode (CCE) and KI/I2 electrolyte have also been used to fabricate the DSSC. The TiO2 photo-electrodes have been sensitized with amaranth dye in three different seasons, winter, summer and autumn. Maximum efficiency of 0.413% has been measured in autumn conditions. Then another two films have been sensitized with Basella alba and mixed dye of amaranth and Syzygium cumini in autumn conditions. The performance of DSSCs has been tested under solar simulator AM 1.5 illumination. The Basella alba and mixed dye-sensitized solar cell show the efficiency of 0.115% and 0.084% respectively in autumn seasonal conditions.
JTK (Jurnal Tadris Kimiya)
This research was conducted to build a view of the nature of science and technology (VNoST) chemistry education student's ability through the didactical design reconstruction. The material taken is Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs) topic with technochemistry education model. It is a model that looked at education from the perspective of engineers and scientists who work not only on inquiry but also on a design perspective. Based on literature research, Indonesian students had low academic literacy performance as revealed in PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) study from 2000-2015. This problem can be caused by a weak teacher's abilities of the nature of science and technology (VNoST). This research's method is Research and Development (R&D) through the Model of Educational Reconstruction (MER). The instruments used were the VNoST questionnaire, interview guidelines, and content analysis guidelines. This study's subjects were 25 prospective chemistry education students in the 6 th semester for pre-conception study and ten students for implementation study at one of State Universities in Indonesia. The didactical design of learning that has been developed had several advantages, including the prediction of student responses and the anticipation of educators as well as the essential material that is a barrier to student learning. Analysis of the VNoST understanding construction patterns is explored further so that the reasons that underlie students in defining science and technology and their relationship are obtained. The implementation study proved that understanding VNoST students after attending didactical design learning improved by changing students' views on science and technology to be more accurate.