Photovoltaic Solar Cell Based on Chlorophyll Dye Pigments Obtained from Brassica oleracea

Abstract

In this work, dye sensitized solar cell employing commercial TiO2 as photoanode was fabricated using natural dye pigments obtained from Brassica oleracea (Green Cabbage) as the photosensitizer. UV-VIS spectrophotometry was used to determine the optical properties of the dye. Experimental results show that for this cell, the open-circuit voltage (VOC) was found to be 0.246 V, the short-circuit current density (JSC) was 0.193 mA/cm2, fill factor (FF) was obtained as 0.413 and power conversion efficiency (η) was 0.0196%. Absorption spectra for the extract show small peaks at 336 and 605 nm, with the optimal peak at 665 nm. The result suggests that while a Brassica oleracea-sensitized solar cell is possible, it is a poor source of chlorophyll and has limited viability as a photosensitizer for the manufacture of DSSCs.