Dye-sensitized solar cells using natural dye as light-harvesting materials extracted from Acanthus sennii chiovenda flower and Euphorbia cotinifolia leaf

Natural dyes are environmentally and economically superior to ruthenium-based dyes because they are nontoxic and cheap. In this study, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were fabricated using natural dyes light harvesting materials. The natural dyes were extracted from Acanthus sennii chiovenda flower and Euphorbia cotinifolia leaf. In the as-prepared DSSC, a quasi-solid state electrolyte was sandwiched between the working electrode (photoanode) and counter electrode (PEDOT-coated FTO glass). The photoelectrochemical performance of the as-prepared quasi-solid state DSSCs showed open-circuit voltages (VOC) varied from 0.475 to 0.507 V, the short-circuit current densities (JSC) ranged from 0.352 to 0.642 mA cm−2 and the fill factors (FF) varied from 47 to 60% at 100 mWcm−2 light intensity. The dye extracted from A. sennii chiovenda flower, using acidified ethanol (in 1% HCl) as extracting solvent, exhibited best conversion efficiency with a maximum open-circuit voltage (VOC) of 0.507 V, short-circuit current density (JSC) of 0.491 mA cm−2, fill factor (FF) of 0.60 and an overall conversion efficiency (η) of 0.15%. On the other hand, the maximum power conversion efficiency of the dye extracted from E. cotinifolia leaf was 0.136%. This is the first study that reports the fabrication of DSSC using natural dye sensitizers extracted from these plants in the presence of quasi-solid state electrolyte and PEDOT as a counter electrode.