GREEN SEAWEEDS EXTRACT AS CO-SENSITIZER FOR DYE SENSITIZED SOLAR CELLS

Abstract

The row extract of ethanol soluble compounds from the green alga Enteromorpha intestinalis was used as source for chlorophyll pigments in the sensitization and co-sensitization of TiO2-based Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs). We used two techniques for co-sensitization (the successive adsorptions of dyes, respective the cocktails of dyes) and the characteristics of DSSCs were studied having in view different pHs of the extracts. The results for DSSCs based on co-sensitized TiO2 photoanodes, obtained in diverse pH conditions, were compared with those for DSSCs based on substrates sensitized by a single source of pigments. The DSSCs fabricated using photoanodes sensitized with a cocktail of green seaweeds and red cabbage extracts, in basic medium, have higher value for efficiency, compared to green seaweeds, respective red cabbage extracts in the same conditions, and the fill factor was remarkable high (0.795). Thus, the co-sensitization by cocktail method may be a proper technique to enhance the light harvesting capability of natural dyes based DSSCs.

Keywords

• anthocyanins
• chlorophyll
• co-sensitization
• dye-sensitized solar cells
• Enteromorpha intestinalis
• green seaweeds