Inexpensive green synthesis of natural dye-sensitized solar cells with aqueous solution as a Bi2S3 counter electrode

Abstract

Natural dyes are more environmentally and fiscally friendly than ruthenium-based dyes because they are non-toxic and inexpensive. In this research, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were created using natural dyes as light harvesting materials. Natural dyes were derived from blackberry fruit, beetroot, and neem foliage. Also, organic-solvent and water-based electrolytes were investigated for the TiO2 working electrode and Bi2S3 counter electrode. As-prepared organic-solvent-based electrolyte DSSCs demonstrated photoelectrochemical efficiency with fill factors (FF) varying from 35% to 45%. At 100 mW/cm2 light strength, open circuit voltages (VOC) and short circuit current densities (JSC) vary from 0.41 to 0.58 V and 1.35–1.93 mA cm−2, respectively. As a result of this, the highest power conversion efficiency (ƞ) of the as-prepared blackberry DSSC is 0.51%. The highest power conversion efficacy using water-based electrolytes with berries dye and a comparable extraction solvent, on the other hand, reached up to 0.47%. This is the first research to describe the construction of a dye-sensitized solar cell using natural dye sensitizers extracted from various colours of fruit and foliage in the presence of organic-solvent and aqueous electrolyte with Bi2S3 as a counter electrode for an efficient dye-sensitized solar cell.