OPTIMIZING THE CONDUCTIVITY OF TITANIUM DIOXIDE IN A DYE SENSITIZED SOLAR CELL THROUGH SENSITIZER AGEING

Abstract

The increasing global need for energy and the depletion of fossil fuel reserves necessitate the development of clean alternative energy sources. Among the approaches for harnessing solar energy and converting it into electricity, the dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) represents one of the most promising methods for future large-scale power production from renewable energy sources. In these cells, the sensitizer is one of the key components, harvesting the solar radiation and converting it into electric current. The electrochemical, photo physical, and molecular electronic properties of the sensitizer play an important role for charge transfer dynamics at the semiconductor interface. The use of expensive ruthenium metals, derived from scarce natural resources for dye sensitized solar cells fabrication corresponds to a relatively heavy environmental burden, hence the necessity to use natural dyes as alternative sensitizers with appreciable efficiencies. In this researched paper, some natural dye samples were used in DSSC fabrication. The dye samples were tested using ageing technique for improved cell performance. The UV-Vis analysis proved that the aged samples has improved absorbance in the visible and near infra-red regions which are demonstrated in the photovoltaic properties. The fabricated solar cells sensitized with the aged dyes showed enhanced open-circuit voltage and efficiency.