An Experimentation into the Utilization of Different Dye Absorption Materials, Dye Sensitizers and Electrolyte Medium in a Dye Sensitized Solar Cell

The stronger thrust on the use of renewable energy by phasing out the dependence on fossil fuels has led to an intensive research in the field of solar photovoltaics with much emphasis on materials and methods that could greatly bring down the cost of solar cells through the incorporation of suitable technologies involving greener materials that are believed to be both nature and pocket friendly. Dye sensitized solar cells are a fast emerging technology trend in the field of utilization of the ever shining bundle of enormous green energy, sun. Recent advances in the field of material science have enabled these cells to compete against the traditional silicon solar cells. The present paper discusses the effect of utilization of the oxides of various other D-group elements in the periodic table such as Manganese Chromium, and the most commonly used Titanium, as the material for the absorption of the dye. The paper also compares the performance of three different natural dyes derived out of spinach, grape and pomegranate. The current work also evaluates the performance of the cell under the application of both solid and liquid electrolyte in the form of fused salt and iodide electrolytes respectively. The fabricated dye sensitized solar cells are grouped and coded for easy recognition and are exposed to sunlight for a particular length of time. The voltage generated is measured with the help of a calibrated multimeter. The results indicate that manganese dioxide used for dye absorption performs at par with titanium dioxide, while chromium trioxide fails miserably in this regard. Also, dark colored dyes generated higher voltage in comparison with light colored dye.