title: Photocurrent generation by dye-sensitized solar cells using natural pigments.
abstract: The development of photovoltaic panels has improved the conversion of solar radiation into electrical energy. This paper deals with the electrical and thermal characteristics (voltage, current, and temperature) of photovoltaic solar cells sensitized with natural pigments (dye-sensitized solar cell, DSSC) based on a titanium dioxide semiconductor. Several natural pigments (blackberry, beets, eggplant skin, spinach, flame tree flower, papaya leaf, and grass extracts) were evaluated to determine their sensitizing effect on titanium dioxide. The results showed the great potential of natural pigments for use in solar cells. The best results were obtained with the blackberry pigment, reaching a value of 7.1 mA current, open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.72 V in 2 cm2, and fill factor (ff) of 0.51 in the DSSC. This performance is well above than that currently offers by actual cells.
authors.affiliation: Knowledge Management Center, Autonomous University of Tamaulipas, Victoria, Tamaulipas, México.
authors.forename: Eddie Nahúm
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Armendáriz-Mireles
authors.affiliation: Department of Manufacturing of Advanced Materials, Polytechnic University of Victoria, Victoria, Tamaulipas, México.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rocha-Rangel
authors.affiliation: Knowledge Management Center, Autonomous University of Tamaulipas, Victoria, Tamaulipas, México.
authors.forename: Frida
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caballero-Rico
authors.affiliation: Knowledge Management Center, Autonomous University of Tamaulipas, Victoria, Tamaulipas, México.
authors.forename: José Alberto
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ramírez-de-León
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vázquez
mesh_terms: D004560:Electricity; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000737:chemistry*; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry*; D012993:Solar Energy; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D010860:Pigments, Biological; C009495:titanium dioxide; D014025:Titanium
keywords: DSSC; TiO2 semiconductor; electrical characterization; natural pigment; sensitized; solar cell