Simultaneous effect of activated carbon and chlorophyll pigment from leaves of acacia nilotica on the enhancement of electron transfer in DSSC applications

Abstract

Abstract A well-defined attempt has been made to confirm the impact of green dye with activated carbon on the performance of Dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) compared to the natural red dye as sensitizer. Green dye from the leaf of Acacia Nilotica combined with the activated carbon derived from coconut Shell and red dye from beet root with activated carbon extracted using ethanol have been used to fabricate dye-sensitized solar cells. The pH of the extracts confirms the acidic nature of the dyes. The chlorophyll pigments in the green dye and activated carbon particles have pronounced effect for the efficiency of the solar cell. It is found that the solar cell with green dye and activated carbon has given an efficiency of 0.69% with fill factor, open circuit voltage and short circuit current density of 0.5361, 0.65 V and 2.0 mA cm−2. The red dye with activated carbon as sensitizer has given the efficiency of 0.504%. Analysis of the green dye with activated carbon in DSSC has proven the enhanced electron injection with low charge transfer resistance of 58 Ω and higher rate of reduction of redox couple I−/I3 −.