Light harvesting over a wide range of wavelength using natural dyes of gardenia and cochineal for dye-sensitized solar cells.
Two natural dyes extracted from gardenia yellow (Gardenia jasminoides) and cochineal (Dactylopius coccus) were used as sensitizers in the assembly of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) to harvest light over a wide range of wavelengths. The adsorption characteristics, electrochemical properties and photovoltaic efficiencies of the natural DSSCs were investigated. The adsorption kinetics data of the dyes were obtained in a small adsorption chamber and fitted with a pseudo-second-order model. The photovoltaic performance of a photo-electrode adsorbed with single-dye (gardenia or cochineal) or the mixture or successive adsorption of the two dyes, was evaluated from current-voltage measurements. The energy conversion efficiency of the TiO2 electrode with the successive adsorption of cochineal and gardenia dyes was 0.48%, which was enhanced compared to single-dye adsorption. Overall, a double layer of the two natural dyes as sensitizers was successfully formulated on the nanoporous TiO2 surface based on the differences in their adsorption affinities of gardenia and cochineal.
Research Institute of Advanced Engineering Technology, Chosun University, Gwangju 501-759, Republic of Korea.
Kyung-Hee
KH
Park
Department of Environmental Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Republic of Korea.
Tae-Young
TY
Kim
School of Applied Chemical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Republic of Korea.
Shin
S
Han
Department of Advanced & Chemicals, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Republic of Korea.
Hyun-Seok
HS
Ko
Green Energy Institute, Mokpo-Si 530-400, Republic of Korea.
Suk-Ho
SH
Lee
Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Chosun University, Gwangju 501-759, Republic of Korea.
Yong-Min
YM
Song
Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Chosun University, Gwangju 501-759, Republic of Korea.
Jung-Hun
JH
Kim
Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Chosun University, Gwangju 501-759, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: jwlee@chosun.ac.kr.
Jae-Wook
JW
Lee
D000818:Animals; D002329:Carmine / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D032062:Gardenia / Q000737:chemistry*; D006430:Hemiptera / Q000737:chemistry*; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D012993:Solar Energy; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*
C009495:titanium dioxide; D002329:Carmine; D014025:Titanium
Double layers; Dye-sensitized solar cell; Light harvesting; Natural dyes; Photovoltaic performance