Chlorophylls and xanthophylls of crop plants as dyes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC)

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Submitted: September 29, 2017
Published: Oct 11, 2017
DOI: 10.29328/journal.jpsp.1001011
Keywords:
Chlorophyll, xanthophylls, Dye, DSSCs

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Rossi M
Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Roma, Italy
Matteocci F
CHOSE–Centre for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy–University of Rome Tor Vergata, via del Politecnico 1, 00133 Roma, Italy
Di Carlo A
CHOSE–Centre for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy–University of Rome Tor Vergata, via del Politecnico 1, 00133 Roma, Italy
Forni C*
Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Roma, Italy

Abstract

Natural dyes have become a viable alternative to expensive and rare organic sensitizers because of their low cost, easy attainability, abundance of supply of raw materials and environmental friendliness. Chlorophyll, the most abundant pigment, can be extracted from plant leaves with simple and inexpensive methods, but it’s difficult to use as a Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC) sensitizer due to the absence of OH and COOH groups. The opposite is true for xanthophylls, a particular class of carotenoids that contain free hydroxyl groups and thus may be considered as potential DSSC sensitizers. In this work we describe a new and inexpensive method of chlorophyll extraction from leaves based on the use of a basic solvent that provides the creation of COOH groups, allowing chlorophyll binding on the TiO2 layer. This modified chlorophyll dye showed a higher DSSC efficiency level (0.72%) compared to xanthophylls, which had lower efficiency.

Article Details

M, R., F, M., A, D. C., & C, F. (2017). Chlorophylls and xanthophylls of crop plants as dyes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC). Journal of Plant Science and Phytopathology, 1(2), 087–094. https://doi.org/10.29328/journal.jpsp.1001011
Research Articles

Copyright (c) 2017 Rossi M, et al.

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