Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Using Dyes Extracted From Basella alba (Alugbati) Fruit and Mangifera indica (Mango) Leaves

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Coal, petroleum and natural gas, the main sources of energy and electricity, has contributed to pollution and led to the destruction of Mother Earth. Silicon-based solar cells are the most common devices used commercially for energy harvesting. However, they have some disadvantages as they require a high cost of production and wide space. Grätzel invented asolar cell that uses dyes as sensitizers.

METHODS

The fresh Mangifera indica (Mango) leaves were blended into fine particles and the Basella alba (Alugbati) were grounded. After that, they were soaked in ethanol for one hour. The ethanolic extracts were subjected to its photosensitizing activity on solar cells. The normal microscopic slides were converted into conductive slides by putting stannous chloride in the surface of the slides. The layers of titanium dioxide (TiO2) paste was varied into one, two, and three layers. The cathode electrode was immersed in Mango and Alugbati dye for an hour. The counter electrode was done using candle soot. The finished DSSCs were placed under the sunlight during 9 AM, 10 AM, 11 AM, and 12 NN. The results showed that the multiple layers of titanium dioxide (TiO2) paste and different plant dyes improved the efficiency of the solar cells.

RESULTS

The voltage produced in the DSSC with three layers is much higher than the solar cells having one and two layers of TiO2 paste. As expected, samples placed during12 NN had the highest amount of voltage produced among the slides. Slides with Mangifera indica (Mango) extract produced the highest amount voltage with three layers of titanium dioxide. For both dyes, it showed an increasing amount of voltage produced except in the observation period during 11:00 AM. This was because the weather became cloudy during that time. Slides with one and two layers of titanium dioxide exhibited almost the same voltage. A drastic increase in the voltage produced was seen in the solar cells with three layers of titanium dioxide.

DISCUSSIONS

For the further improvement of the study, future researchers may consider using either the fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) or the coated glass and indium-doped tin oxide (ITO) coated glass since the researchers have read numerous journals which made use of these slides. Results clearly stated that the amount of sunlight is one of the factors that may affect the results. Future researchers may test the efficiency of the slides for three days.