Efficient Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Using Red Turnip and Purple Wild Sicilian Prickly Pear Fruits

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Giuseppe Calogero¹  Gaetano Di Marco¹  Silvia Cazzanti²  Stefano Caramori²  Roberto Argazzi⁴  Aldo Di Carlo³ 

[1] CNR, Istituto per i Processi Chimico-Fisici, Sede di Messina, Salita Sperone, C. da Papardo, I-98158 Faro Superiore Messina, Italy;Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Ferrara, Via L. Borsari 46, 44100 Ferrara, Italy;Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettronica, Università di Roma 2, Tor Vergata, Roma, Italy;c/o Dipartimento di Chimica, Istituto per la Sintesi Organica e la Fotoreattività (ISOF-CNR), Università di Ferrara, Via L. Borsari 46, 44100 Ferrara, Italy

关键词: solar cells;    betalaine;    opuntia;    red turnip;    natural dyes;    solar energy;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijms11010254

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were assembled by using the bougainvillea flowers, red turnip and the purple wild Sicilian prickly pear fruit juice extracts as natural sensitizers of TiO₂ films. The yellow orange indicaxanthin and the red purple betacyanins are the main components in the cocktail of natural dyes obtained from these natural products. The best overall solar energy conversion efficiency of 1.7% was obtained, under AM 1.5 irradiation, with the red turnip extract, that showed a remarkable current density (Jsc = 9.5 mA/cm²) and a high IPCE value (65% at λ = 470 nm). Also the purple extract of the wild Sicilian prickly pear fruit showed interesting performances, with a Jsc of 9.4 mA/cm², corresponding to a solar to electrical power conversion of 1.26%.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2010 by the authors; licensee Molecular Diversity Preservation International, Basel, Switzerland.