Abstract:
Natural dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are a promising area in renewable energy.
These innovative devices employ natural dyes extracted from plants to absorb sunlight
and convert it into electricity. The dyes (anthocyanins in berries or chlorophyll in green
plants), act as sensitizers, absorbing sunlight and generating excited electrons. One of
the significant advantages of natural DSSCs is their eco-friendly nature, as they utilize
renewable resources and have a low environmental impact compared to traditional solar
cells. Moreover, their production is cost-effective and can be easily scaled up for
industrial applications. With ongoing R&D efforts, natural DSSCs have the potential to
contribute significantly to a cleaner and sustainable energy future. Reinforcing above, this
study investigated the efficiencies of DSSCs produced using dyes of novel seaweed
varieties (Microcladia borealis, Ellisolendia elongata, sea lettuce and Chaetomorpha) from
shallow seas in Sri Lanka. Dye extracts from sea weeds have been studied sparsely with
DSSCs. This research dives into the extensive color resources contained in the Sri Lankan
seaweeds. The absorption of the dye and the electron emitting efficiency of the dye
showed a clear relationship which can be further used in research for better dyes without
following the full procedure of producing the cell. Additionally, the research opens a path
for further research whether nano TiO is a mandatory factor in producing a DSSC. The
highest efficiency was shown by dye extracted from Microcladia borealis which was
1.7x10 %.
