Abstract
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) have been assembled using natural dyes extracted from the red (Gracilaria) and green (Ulva) algae as photosensitizers and the effect of adding Graphene quantum dot (GQD) has been investigated. The open-circuit voltage (VOC) values of natural dyes of Gracilaria, Gracilaria + GQD, Ulva, and Ulva + GQD are 0.64, 0.73, 0.70, and 0.75, respectively. The short circuit current density (JSC) values are varied from 0.96 to 2.26 mA cm−2, and the fill factor (FF) from 52 to 56% for the mentioned samples. The best-energy conversion efficiency of approximately 0.94% has been achieved for DSSC with Gracilaria + GQD with JSC equal 2.26 mA cm−2, VOC is 0.73 V, and FF is 56%.
Article Highlights
-
Dye-sensitized solar cells were assembled using red (Gracilaria) and green (Ulva) algae.
-
The results showed that adding the Graphene quantum dot to dye as a sensitizer increased significantly the efficiency.
-
The best energy conversion efficiency of approximately 0.94% was achieved.
-
To the best of our knowledge, there is no report for this kind of solar cell.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aghelifar M, Kimiagar S (2018) pH effect on the size of graphene quantum dot synthesized by using pulse laser irradiation. Phys Chem Res 6(2):237
Ali B (2015) Decrease of back recombination rate in CdS quantum dots sensitized solar cells using reduced graphene oxide. Chin Phys B 24(4):047205
Anand M, Suresh S (2015) Marine seaweed Sargassum wightii extract as a low-cost sensitizer for ZnO photoanode based dye-sensitized solar cell. Adv Nat Sci Nanosci Nanotechnol 6(3):035008
Ananth S, Vivek P, Solaiyammal T, Murugakoothan P (2015) Pre dye treated titanium dioxide nano particles sensitized by natural dye extracts of Pterocarpus marsupium for dye sensitized solar cells. Optik 126:1027
Argazzi R et al (2004) Design of molecular dyes for application in photoelectrochemical and electrochromic devices based on nanocrystalline metal oxide semiconductors. J Photoch Photobio A 164(1–3):15
Bach U et al (1998) Solid-state dye-sensitized mesoporous TiO2 solar cells with high photon-to-electron conversion efficiencies. Nature 395:583
Bessho T et al (2010) Highly efficient mesoscopic dye-sensitized solar cells based on donor–acceptor-substituted porphyrins. Angew Chem Int Edit 49(37):6646
Calogero G et al (2010) Efficient dye-sensitized solar cells using red turnip and purple wild sicilian prickly pear fruits. Int J Mol Sci 11(1):254
Calogero G et al (2012) Anthocyanins and betalains as light-harvesting pigments for dye-sensitized solar cells. Sol Energy 86(5):1563
Calogero G et al (2015) Vegetable-based dye-sensitized solar cells. Chem Soc Rev 44(10):3244
Calogero G, Citro I, Di Marco G, Minicante SA, Morabito M, Genovese G (2014) Self-assembly of organic nanomaterials and biomaterials: the bottom-up approach for functional nanostructures formation and advanced applications. Acta Part A Mol Biomol Spectrosc 117:702
Calogero G, Di Marco G (2008) Red Sicilian orange and purple eggplant fruits as natural sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells. Sol Energ Mat Sol C 92(11):1341
Dai Q, Rabani J (2002) Unusually efficient photosensitization of nanocrystalline TiO2 films by pomegranate pigments in aqueous medium. New J Chem 26(4):421
Diao S, Zhang X, Shao Z, Ding K, Jie J, Zhang X (2017) Hue tunable, high color saturation and high-efficiency graphene/silicon heterojunction solar cells with MgF2/ZnS double anti-reflection layer. Nano Energy 31:359
Enciso P, Cerdá MF (2016) Solar cells based on the use of photosensitizers obtained from Antarctic red algae. Cold Reg Sci Technol 126:51
Fang X, Li M, Guo K, Li J, Pan M, Bai, et al (2014) Charge and energy transfer interplay in hybrid sensitized solar cells mediated by graphene quantum dots. Electrochim Acta 137:634
Gray JL (2020) The physics of the solar cell. Handbook of photovoltaic science and engineering, 2nd edn. Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
Gupta V, Chaudhary N, Srivastava R, Sharma GD, Bhardwaj R et al (2011) Luminscent graphene quantum dots for organic photovoltaic devices. J Am Chem Soc 133(26):9960
Hao S et al (2006) A thermoplastic gel electrolyte for stable quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells. Sol Energy 80(2):209
Hao Y et al (2016) Novel blue organic dye for dye-sensitized solar cells achieving high efficiency in cobalt-based electrolytes and by co-sensitization. ACS Appl Mater Inter 8(48):32797
Hiramoto M, Fujiwara H, Yokoyama M (1991) Morphological studies of organic photovoltaic blendsApplied physics letters. Appl Phys Lett 58(10):1062
Ho NT et al (2016) Enhancement of recombination process using silver and graphene quantum dot embedded intermediate layer for efficient organic tandem cells. Sci Rep 6:30327
Hu Y, Robertson N (2016) Molecular engineering of potent sensitizers for very efficient light harvesting in thin-film solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells. Front Optoelectron 9(1):38
Kongkanand A, Tvrdy K, Takechi K, Kano M, Kamat PV (2008) Quantum dot solar cells. Tuning photoresponse through size and shape control of CdSe−TiO2 architecture. J Am Chem Soc 130(12):4007
Kroeze JE, Hirata N, Schmidt-Mende L, Orizu C, Ogier SD, Carr K et al (2006) Amphiphilic poly(vinyl chloride)-g-poly(oxyethylene methacrylate) graft polymer electrolytes: Interactions, nanostructures and applications to dye-sensitized solar cells. Adv Funct Mater 16(14):1832
Kuang D et al (2008) Evaluation of solution-processed reduced graphene oxide films as transparent conductors. ACS Nano 2(6):1113
Kundu S, Sarojinijeeva P, Karthick R, Anantharaj G, Saritha G, Bera R et al (2017) Synthesis of magnetically reusable Fe3O4 nanospheres-N, Sco-doped graphene quantum dots enclosed CdSe its application as a photocatalyst. Electrochim Acta 242:337
Long R (2013) Understanding the Electronic Structures of Graphene Quantum Dot Physisorption and Chemisorption onto the TiO2 (110) Surface: A First-Principles Calculation. Chem Phys Chem 14(3):579
Lu J, Yeo PSE, Gan CK, Wu P, Loh KP (2011) Theoretical studies on the growth mechanism of chemical vapor deposition of graphene on metal surface. Nat Nanotechnol 6(4):247
Mahmood A (2016) Chitosan functionalized poly(vinyl alcohol) for prospects biomedical and industrial applications. Sol Energy 123:127
Mihalache I, Radoi A, Mihaila M, Munteanu C, Marin A, Danila M et al (2015) Intrinsic limitations of impedance measurements in determining electric double layer capacitances. Electrochim Acta 153:306
Najafi V, Aghelifar M, Kimiagar S (2017) A novel synthesis of CZTS quantum dots using pulsed laser irradiation. Superlattice Microst 109:702
Najafi V, Kimiagar S (2018) Cd-free Cu2ZnSnS4 thin film solar cell on a flexible substrate using nano-crystal ink. Thin Solid Films 657:70
Narayan MR (2012) Graphene oxide liquid crystals: discovery. Evolution and applications. ADV Mater Res-Switz 16(1):208
Nazeeruddin MK et al (2001) Engineering of efficient panchromatic sensitizers for nanocrystalline TiO2-based solar cells. J Am Chem Soc 123(8):1613
Nguyen-Phan TD, Pham VH, Shin EW, Pham HD, Kim S, Chung, et al (2011) The role of graphene oxide content on the adsorption-enhanced photocatalysis of titanium dioxide/graphene oxide composites. Chem Eng J 170(1):226
O'Regan B, Grätzel M (1991) A low-cost, high-efficiency solar cell based on dye-sensitized colloidal TiO2 films. Nature 353:737
Patterson A (1939) The Scherrer formula for X-ray particle size determination. Phys Rev 56(10):978
Paulo S, Palomares E, Martinez-Ferrero E (2016) Novel carbon quantum dots from egg yolk oil and their haemostatic effects. Nanomater Basel 6(9):157
Peng J, Gao W, Gupta BK, Liu Z, Romero-Aburto R, Ge L et al (2012) Graphene quantum dots derived from carbon fibers. Nano Lett 12(2):844
Prabavathy N, Shalini S, Balasundaraprabhu R, Dhayalan Velauthapillai S, Prasanna G, Muthukumarasamy BN (2018) Enhancement in the photostability of natural dyes for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) applications. Int J Energy Res 42(2):790
Riesen H, Wiebeler C, Schumacher S (2014) Optical spectroscopy of graphene quantum dots: the case of C132. J Phys Chem A 118(28):5189
Ritter KA, Lyding JW (2009) Metal ion binding with carbon nanotubes and graphene: Effect of chirality and curvature. Nat Mater 8(3):235
Sathiyan G et al (2016) Review of carbazole based conjugated molecules for highly efficient organic solar cell application. Tetrahedron Lett 57(3):243
Schmidt-Mende L, Bach U, Humphry-Baker R, Horiuchi T, Miura H, Ito S et al (2005) Theoretical study of indoline dyes for dye-sensitized solarcells. Adv Mater 17(7):813
Shalini S, Balasundara P, Prasanna S, Tapas K, Senthilarasu S (2015) The colour rendering index and correlated colour temperature of dye-sensitized solar cell for adaptive glazing application. Renew Sust Energy Rev 51:1306
Smestad GP (1998) Education and solar conversion: demonstrating electron transfer. Sol Energ Mat Sol C 55(1):157
Snaith HJ, Grätzel M (2007) Recent trends in mesoscopic solar cells based on molecular and nanopigment light harvesters. Adv Mater 19(21):3643
Wallace J (2009) Temporal stability of blue phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes affected by thermal annealing of emitting layers. University of Rochester
Wang Z-S et al (2004) Significant influence of TiO2 photoelectrode morphology on the energy conversion efficiency of N719 dye-sensitized solar cell. Coordin Chem Rev 248(13–14):1381
Wolf M (1971) A new look at silicon solar cell performance. Energy Convers 11:63
Wu J, Lan Z, Lin J, Huang M, Huang Y, Fan L et al (2015) Electrolytes in dye-sensitized solar cells. Chem Rev 115(5):2136
Zhao Q, Xie T, Peng L, Lin Y, Wang P, Peng L et al (2007) Size-and orientation-dependent photovoltaic properties of ZnO nanorods. J Phys Chem C 111(45):17136
Zhu Z, Ma J, Wang Z, Mu C, Fan Z, Du L et al (2014) Efficiency enhancement of Perovskite solar cells through fast electron extraction: the role of graphene quantum dots. J Am Chem Soc 136(10):3760
Zhu C, Yang S, Wang G, Mo R, He P, Sun J et al (2015) A new mild, clean and highly efficient method for the preparation of graphene quantum dots without by-products. J Mater Chem B 3(34):6871
Zhu S, Zhang J, Qiao C, Tang S, Li Y, Yuan W et al (2011) Strongly green-photoluminescent graphene quantum dots for bioimaging applications. Chem Commun 47:6858
Zhu S, Zhang J, Tang A, Qiao C, Wang L, Wang H et al (2012) Photoluminescence mechanism in graphene quantum dots: Quantum confinement effect and surface/edge state. Adv Funct Mater 22:4732
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
There is no conflict of interest.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Saedi, A., Moradi, A.M., Kimiagar, S. et al. Efficiency Enhancement of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Gracilaria/Ulva Using Graphene Quantum Dot. Int J Environ Res 14, 393–402 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41742-020-00265-2
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41742-020-00265-2