Effect of ZnO Nanomaterial and Red and Green Cabbage Dyes on the Performance of Dye-Sensitised Solar Cells

Abdullah K Alanazi

doi:10.3390/coatings11091057

Abstract

Visible light can be converted into electricity using dye sensitised solar cells (DSSCs), with their performance mainly based on the type of dye used as a sensitiser. Currently, dyes extracted from natural sources are highly preferred by researchers in this field. Natural dyes reduce the high cost of metal complex sensitisers and replace expensive processes of chemical synthesis with simple extraction processes. Natural dyes are environmentally friendly, abundant, easily extractable, and safe. Their application has become a promising development in DSSC technology. In this study, two natural dyes extracted from the plant leaves of green cabbage (GC) and red cabbage (RC) that were used as sensitisers. The performance characteristics of RC and GC extracts were investigated using both cyclic voltammetry and amperometry methods for solar cell detection. At an extraction temperature of 60 °C maintained for 8 h under optimum conditions, the measured values of maximum power (Pm), fill factor (FF), and efficiency (η) were 1.36 mW/cm2, 92.34%, and 0.161% for RC, and 0.349 mW/cm2, 44.19%, and 0.095% for GC, respectively. The RC and GC extracts exhibited excellent electrochemical performance with respect to current density potential and good cycling stability.

Highlights

Fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas, and coal are the main sources of energy used all over the world
The development of renewable energy sources may lead to sustainable technologies for a clean environment
The absorption spectra of the dye solutions prepared from the red cabbage (RC) and green cabbage (GC) leaves showed maximum absorption peaks at 330 nm and 280 nm, respectively

Summary

Introduction

Fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas, and coal are the main sources of energy used all over the world. The development of renewable energy sources may lead to sustainable technologies for a clean environment. Wind, hydro, biomass, and geothermal energy generation technologies constitute the main sources of renewable energy, and all of them have their own merits and shortcomings [1]. Solar energy provides energy to all humans, plants, and animals for their growth and development; it varies geographically across the Earth. Solar energy can be directly converted into heat or electricity at commercial and domestic levels, and it is beneficial to individual owners as well as the environment. Scientists and engineers seek to utilise solar radiation directly to generate electricity through economic devices [2]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion