Photovoltaic performance of curcumin as sensitizer in a solid-state solar cell

The sensitization of ZnO nanoparticles thin film with a natural substance curcumin and its use as photoanode in a solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell (SS-DSSC) employing TiO2 nanofiller modified polyethylene oxide (PEO) polymer electrolyte is reported. The diffuse reflectance spectrum (DRS) of the curcumin dye adsorbed ZnO thin film has exhibited a strong absorbance in the wavelength range of 380–520 nm, indicating a good adsorption of curcumin dye molecules on the ZnO thin film surface. The photovoltaic performance of the SS-DSSC is evaluated under simulated solar light intensity of 600 W/m2. The SS-DSSC with ZnO thin film electrode sensitized by curcumin has delivered a photocurrent density (Jsc) of 331 × 10−6 A cm−2 and overall energy conversion efficiency (η) of 0.13%. The high charge transfer resistance exhibited by the solid-state PEO polymer electrolyte is responsible for the low Jscvalue of the cell. The stability of the SS-DSSC is proved through chronoamperometry study.