Mucuna Pruriens as Photo-Sensitizer in Dye Sensitized Solar Cell

Yıl 2018, Cilt: 4 Sayı: 1, 27 - 32, 01.03.2018

Charity Segun Odeyemi Ayodeji Oladiran Awodugba

Öz

In dye sensitized solar (DSSC), the dye
sensitizer plays important role in absorbing sunlight and transporting
electrons into the conduction band of the semiconductor thus converting the
solar energy into electric energy by photovoltaic effect. This study focus on
the investigation made on the leaves and stem of Mucuna Pruriens extract as photosensitizers for dye sensitizer
solar cell (DSSC). The DSSC was based on titanium dioxide nanopowder as the
photoanode semiconductor material and potassium iodide solution as electrolyte.
The pigment was extracted from dry leaves and stem of Mucuna Pruriens in water, ethanol and acetone. The photo absorption
spectral of Mucuna Pruriens was
investigated in cold and hot extraction media. Dye sensitized solar cell was
fabricated using Michael Gratzel method. The cell was connected to a variable
external load and exposed to illumination at 100mW/m2. As the load
is varied, the short circuit current Isc
and the corresponding open circuit voltage Voc
were observed. An IV characteristics
was plotted and the fill factor and efficiency were computed as 0.8 and 0.37% for
Mucuna pruriens extracted in water,
0.88 and 1.16% for Mucuna pruriens
extracted in ethanol, 0.93 and 2.08% for Mucuna
pruriens extracted in acetone respectively. The pigment extracted in cold
acetone has the best light absorption and efficiency.  This study shows that Mucuna Pruriens has prospect as sensitizer in DSSC.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Photosensitizer, Photoanode, Nanopowder, Mucuna Pruriens, Titanium dioxide

Kaynakça

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