Photocurrent generation by adsorption of two main pigments of Halobacterium salinarum on TiO2 nanostructured electrode.
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), which are proposed as a substitute for silicon crystalline solar cells, have received considerable attention in the recent decade. They could be produced from inexpensive materials through low-cost processes. In the current work, a bio-sensitized solar cell is designed using abundant, cheap, and nontoxic materials. Bacteriorhodopsin and bacterioruberin are two natural biomolecules found in the cytoplasmic membrane of Halobacterium salinarum. These two pigments were immobilized on nanoporous titanium dioxide films successfully and employed as molecular sensitizers in DSSC with efficient photocurrent generation. The photovoltaic performance of DSSCs based on bacteriorhodopsin and bacterioruberin sensitizers was investigated. Under AM1.5 irradiation a short-circuit current of 0.45 mA cm(-2) , open circuit voltages of 0.57 V, fill factor of 0.62, and an overall energy conversion efficiency of 0.16% are achieved by employing a mixture of biomolecules as a sensitizer.
Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Malek-Ashtar University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.
Ahmad
A
Molaeirad
Sajad
S
Janfaza
Abbas
A
Karimi-Fard
Baharak
B
Mahyad
D000327:Adsorption; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D011211:Electric Power Supplies; D004563:Electrochemistry; D004566:Electrodes; D019617:Halobacterium salinarum / Q000737:chemistry*; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000737:chemistry*; D012993:Solar Energy; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*
D010860:Pigments, Biological; C009495:titanium dioxide; D014025:Titanium
bacterial pigments cosensitization; bacteriorhodopsin; bacterioruberin; nanostructured bio-solar cell