Blackberries dye-sensitized solar cells with poly(vinyl alcohol) based gel polymer electrolytes

Abstract

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have been constructed using fluoride tin oxide (FTO) glass deposited with TiO₂ and anthocyanin dye extracted from blackberries as the photoanode, platinum coated cathode, and gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) comprising poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) dissolved in two different solvents, viz., dimethyl formamide (DMF) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). GPE employing DMF solvent exhibits the highest ambient conductivity of 14.05 mS cm⁻¹. Charge transport properties of DSSCs were studied via intensity-modulated photocurrent spectroscopy (IMPS), intensity-modulated photovoltage spectroscopy (IMVS) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The highest efficiency of 0.54% is recorded for DSSC with GPE containing DMF and TBP.

Keywords:

• Anthocyanin
• blackberry dye
• dye-sensitized solar cells
• gel polymer electrolytes

Additional information

Funding

Authors like to thank the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education for financial support in the form of Fundamental Research Grant Scheme under Project No. FRGS/1/2019/STG07/UM/02/3.