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Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on a Natural Low Cost Halochromic Sensitizer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 January 2011

Michael I. Ibrahim ,
Maria J. Bassil ,
Umit B. Demirci ,
Georges El Haj Moussa ,
Mario R. El Tahchi  and
Philippe Miele
Michael I. Ibrahim
Affiliation:
LPA-GBMI, Department of Physics, Lebanese University - Faculty of Sciences II, PO Box 90656 Jdeidet, Lebanon, email: gbmi@ul.edu.lb, Tel: +961 3 209688, Fax: +961 1 681553. Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5615, Laboratoire des Multimatériaux et Interfaces, 43 boulevard du 11 Novembre 1918, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France, email: umit.demirci@univ-lyon1.fr.
Maria J. Bassil
Affiliation:
LPA-GBMI, Department of Physics, Lebanese University - Faculty of Sciences II, PO Box 90656 Jdeidet, Lebanon, email: gbmi@ul.edu.lb, Tel: +961 3 209688, Fax: +961 1 681553.
Umit B. Demirci
Affiliation:
Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5615, Laboratoire des Multimatériaux et Interfaces, 43 boulevard du 11 Novembre 1918, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France, email: umit.demirci@univ-lyon1.fr.
Georges El Haj Moussa
Affiliation:
LPA-GBMI, Department of Physics, Lebanese University - Faculty of Sciences II, PO Box 90656 Jdeidet, Lebanon, email: gbmi@ul.edu.lb, Tel: +961 3 209688, Fax: +961 1 681553.
Mario R. El Tahchi
Affiliation:
LPA-GBMI, Department of Physics, Lebanese University - Faculty of Sciences II, PO Box 90656 Jdeidet, Lebanon, email: gbmi@ul.edu.lb, Tel: +961 3 209688, Fax: +961 1 681553.
Philippe Miele
Affiliation:
Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5615, Laboratoire des Multimatériaux et Interfaces, 43 boulevard du 11 Novembre 1918, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France, email: umit.demirci@univ-lyon1.fr.
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Abstract

Since their re-introduction as new generation solar cells in 1991, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have been studied extensively to improve their efficiency and their stability. Few papers have reported the usage of natural dyes in the fabrication of DSSCs. We are most interested in these dyes being easy to extract, low cost and with tunable absorption. For example, Anthocyanin is extracted from red cabbage and is present in a multitude of colors ranging from red to yellow to violet according to the pH. In this study, two industrial types of titanium dioxide powders, the Degussa P 25 and the Crystal 128 with different particle sizes 21 and 200 nm respectively, were used to prepare DSSCs. The dye used is anthocyanin and its color is varied by varying the pH of the medium. The pH effect on the light absorption of anthocyanin in the visible range and the optical properties of titanium dioxide dyed with anthocyanin and coumarin 102 are investigated using UV-Vis spectroscopy. The open-circuit voltage of all the samples is tested and it if found out that it is dependant on the dye color.

Keywords

photovoltaicoptical propertiessintering
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1286: Symposium E – Molecular and Hybrid Materials for Electronics and Photonics , 2011 , mrsf10-1286-e08-33
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

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References

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