Fabrication of dye-sensitive solar cell using natural dye from Lawsonia inermis (HENNA), Mangifera indica (MANGO), and Terminalia catappa (TROPICAL ALMOND) leaves with polyaniline/ Graphite as a counter electrode

Abstract

This study used natural extracts from Lawsonia inermis L. (Henna), Terminalia catappa L. (Tropical Almond), and Mangifera indica L. (Mango) as photosensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells. The mango and tropical almond extracts were extracted using ethanol while the henna extract was gotten using alkaline extraction. The choice of extraction solvent was based on the ability to permeate the plant membranes and toxicity of the solvent. This study used TiO2 as the semiconductor material, iodide/triiodide as the redox electrolyte, and PANI/Graphite couple as the counter electrode. From the results gotten from the study, the henna extract produced the highest voltage and current when tested under projector light (57.6mV and 0.018mA) and sunlight (0.188V and 0.282mA). In contrast, the mango extract produced the lowest results under the same conditions (no electricity under projector light; 0.892mV and 0.0164mA under sunlight). Additionally, the results showed that the voltage output of the henna DSSC increased every week.