Natural dye sensitized TiO2 nanorods assembly of broccoli shape based solar cells

•Synthesis of rutile phase TiO2 nanorods by low temperature hydrothermal method.•Characterization of TiO2 nanorods arranged in the form of broccoli like shape.•Sensitization of TiO2 film by three natural dyes.•Fabrication of solar cell with the sensitized TiO2 film.

TiO2 nanorods based thin films with rutile phase have been synthesized using template free low temperature hydrothermal method. The scanning electron microscope images showed that the prepared TiO2 samples were made of TiO2 nanorods and the nanorods had arranged by itself to form a broccoli like shape. The X-ray diffraction studies revealed that the prepared TiO2 samples exhibit rutile phase. The grown TiO2 nanorods had been sensitized using the flowers of Sesbania (S) grandiflora, leaves of Camellia (C) sinensis and roots of Rubia (R) tinctorum. Dye sensitized solar cells had been fabricated using the natural dye sensitized TiO2 nanorods based thin film photoelectrode and the open circuit voltage and short circuit current density were found to lie in the range of 0.45–0.6 V and 5.6–6.4 mA/cm2 respectively. The photovoltaic performance of all the fabricated natural dye sensitized TiO2 solar cells indicate that natural dyes have the potential to be used as effective sensitizer in dye sensitized solar cells.

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