Characterization of Dye Sensitized Cells Using Natural Dye from Oil Bean Leaf (<i>Pentaclethra macrophylla</i>): The Effect of Dye pH on the Photoelectric Parameters

Abstract

Fresh leaves of oil bean ( P. macrophylla ) were used as sensitizers for fabrication of dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) at four dye pH values of 2.58 ° C at 23.7 ° C, 2.62 ° C at 22.2 ° C, 2.65 ° C at 22.3 ° C and 3.61 ° C at 22.1 ° C. The methanol extracts of P. macrophylla were extracted and used as sensitizers for the development of dye sensitized solar cells. The solar cells sensitized by P. macrophylla leaf extracts realised up to short circuit current (J sc ) 0.16 mA/cm 2 , open circuit voltage (V oc ) 0.045 V, P max 0.031 mW/ cm 2 and fill factor (FF) 0.50. The energy conversion efficiency ( η ) of the DSSCs is 0.43%. Phytochemical screening of P. macrophylla leaf extract shows the presence of flavonoids and anthraquinones. The nanostructured dye shows conversion of solar energy into electricity using low cost natural dyes as wide band-gap semiconductor sensitizers in DSSCs. This will provide economically viable substitute to silicon p-n junction photovoltaic (PV).