A Green Approach to Natural Dyes in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Molecular engineering on tyrian puprle natural dye as TiO2 based fined tuned photovoltaic dye material: DFT molecular analysis

In this research, molecular modification is employed to see the enhancement in the efficiency of Tyrian Purple (TP), a natural dye, for organic photovoltaic materials. By using Density Functional Theory (DFT) based molecular modeling, seven new structures are designed with pi spacer to extend electron donor moieties. Teheir Frontier Molecular Orbital (FMO) analysis demonstartes their charges with a similar pattern of distributions over their Highest Occupied and Lowed Unocuupied Molecular Orbitals (HOMO/lUMO). This analysls also show their energy gaps (Egaps) to range around 2.97-3.02 eV. Their maximum absorption wavelength (λmax) demosntartes 486-490 nm range to indicate their tendency of absorbing light efficiently. Their Transition Density Matrix (TDM) analysis also reveals their facile electronic transitions without a significant charges over spacers. From calculating their photovoltaic paramters, their Light Harvesting Efficiency (LHE) reaches to 72.4-95.5 %. Also their Open Circuit Voltage (Voc) varies across 1.16-1.34 V. It is found that dyes actively adsorb onto TiO2 clusters to demonstrate their promise for tuning their Conduction Band (CB). This research is an effort for to evaluate the structural correlations to the develop photovoltaic materials through molecular-level design and optimization.

Enhancing Hybrid Photovoltaic-Thermal System Efficiency with Boron Dipyrromethene Dyes

A library of boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) compounds was studied to assess their efficacy as components of a working liquid in hybrid photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) systems. Two series of BODIPY dyes were investigated: series I included alkylBODIPYs with varying substitution patterns, while series II included 1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-substituted BODIPYs featuring electron-rich aromatic groups in the meso position, such as naphthalene, anthracene, and carbazole. Series II dyes were designed to exhibit luminescence downshifting due to enhanced UV absorption (300-400 nm) and excited-state energy transfer, leading to visible-region fluorescence under UV excitation. Samples of PVT liquids based on decalin and containing each individual BODIPY dye were tested on a standard a-Si solar cell to evaluate their impact on solar energy conversion efficiency. The thermal behavior of the working liquid and the cell during the illumination cycle was monitored, alongside the cell's electrical characteristics. Energy conversion pathways and the overall effects of the dyes on the system performance were scrutinized. Results indicated that all BODIPY dyes enhanced both the electrical conversion efficiency (up to 2.41% increase) and thermal energy generation (up to 6.87%) compared to the solvent alone. These findings highlight the potential of BODIPY dyes to significantly improve the performance of PVT systems.

Development of dye-sensitized solar cells using pigment extracts produced by Talaromyces atroroseus GH2

The identification of more efficient, clean, secure, and competitive energy supply is necessary to align with the needs of sustainable devices. For this reason, a study for developing innovative dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on microbial pigments is reported starting from Talaromyces atroroseus GH2. The fungus was cultivated by fermentation and the extracellular pigment extract was characterized by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS analyses. The most abundant compound among the 22 azaphilone-type pigments identified was represented by PP-O. The device's behavior was investigated in relation to electrolyte and pH for verifying the stability on time and the photovoltaic performance. Devices obtained were characterized by UV-vis measurements to verify the absorbance intensity and transmittance percentage. Moreover, photovoltaic parameters through photo-electrochemical measurements (I-V curves) and impedance characteristics by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) were determined. The best microbial device showed a short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 0.69 mA/cm2, an open-circuit photo-voltage (Voc) of 0.27 V and a Fill Factor (FF) of 0.60. Furthermore, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the device was 0.11%. Thus, the present study demonstrated the potential of microbial origin pigments for developing DSSCs.

Influence of the solvent on the sensitization of nanostructured electrodes of TiO2 for solar cells sensitized with a natural dye extracted from purple corn: Molecular dynamic simulation and experimental validation

This study uses molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and experiments to explore the interaction between titanium dioxide (TiO2) and cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G), the main compound in purple corn, in the context of sensitized solar cells. dyes (DSSCs). Different proportions of water and ethanol in the solvent were applied. MD revealed the effective chemisorption of C3G and significant variations in the equilibrium enthalpy, indicating the influence of the solvent composition on the stability of the TiO2/C3G system. The negative adsorption energies (EAds) reveal favourable adsorption processes. A possible formation of solvation shells was observed near the TiO2 nanoparticle. The experimental results supported the simulation predictions, highlighting the system with 25 % water and 75 % ethanol (W1E3) as the most efficient. The formation of solvation shells facilitates C3G adsorption, improving anchoring and reducing unwanted electron recombinations. The results provide essential information for the selection of optimal solvents in future photovoltaic applications, contributing to the improvement of the performance of these solar cells.