Dye-sensitized solar cells constructed using titanium oxide nanoparticles and green dyes as photosensitizers

Recently, researchers have taken a particular interest in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) due to their exceptional physico-chemical characteristics and excellent photoconversion efficiency. This research is dedicated to fabricating dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) using TiO2NPs and green natural dyes. The average particle size appeared about 151.6 nm of the synthesized TiO2NPs, measured by dynamic light scattering technique. The nanostructured TiO2 was characterized optically with a UV–visible and X-ray fluorescence spectrophotometer, and structurally by using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Analysis of the particle size and morphology of TiO2NPs has been confirmed by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and the Energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis indicated the elemental composition. The TiO2NPs thin film of paste was spread on the transparent conducting glass as the substrate with copper metal attached to the surface using the doctor-blade method. Green dyes extracted from Lawsonia inermis (Henna) and spinach were used as sensitizers, iodine as electrolytes, and TiO2NPs as photoelectrode to fabricate dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The DSSCs were evaluated with a fill factor of 0.09 and 0.37, which were obtained with an efficiency of 0.24 %, and 2.19 % for spinach and henna dyes, respectively.