Fabrication of dye-sensitized solar cells using anthocyanidins from the extracts of Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa).

I. O. Abdulsalami; S. Banjo; I. A. Bello; H. S. Bolarinwa; A. I. Egunjobi

doi:10.53704/fujnas.v5i1.88

Authors

I. O. Abdulsalami Department of Chemical Sciences, Fountain University, Osogbo, Nigeria.
S. Banjo Department of Pure & Applied Chemistry, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria.
I. A. Bello Department of Pure & Applied Chemistry, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria.
H. S. Bolarinwa Department of Physics, Electronics and Earth Sciences, Fountain University, Osogbo, Nigeria.
A. I. Egunjobi Department of Science Laboratory Technology, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Nigeria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53704/fujnas.v5i1.88

Abstract

This study extracted, purified and applied the extracts of H. sabdariffa as photo-sensitizers in dye-sensitized solar cells. The chemical properties of the extracts were examined using UV, FT-IR and GC-FID spectroscopic studies. The photoelectrochemical properties of the extracts were also reported. U-V spectra showed significant difference in the absorbance and wavelengths of the crude and purified samples of H. sabdariffa (HSE and HSP respectively). The former has characteristic absorptions of 1.096 at 330 nm and 0.211 at 540 nm, and the latter, 0.211 at 335 nm and 0.334 at 540 nm. Shifts in the wavelengths of the absorption (around 330 - 350 nm) and a characteristic decrease in the absorption between the HSE and HSP were observed. The FT-IR spectra of the HSE and HSP have similar characteristic absorbances peculiar to OH, C=O, C-C double bond (both aliphatic and aromatic) and C-O HSP has two additional absorbances at 2365 cm^-1 and 2075cm^-1. The spectra of the purified sample have bathochromic (red) shifts on the hydroxyl group and hypsochromic (blue) shifts on the benzene. The GC-FID chromatograms revealed the presence of six anthocyanidins and the spectra data showed the amount of the anthocyanidins in mg per 100 g of the sample. The results showed that delphinidin was in abundance, followed by cyanidin in both samples. The quantities of the delphinidin increased with purity of the samples, while the others decreased with purity for both samples. The photovoltaic performances of HSE and HSP have the fill factors of 0.254 and 0.347 and the overall efficiencies of 0.118% and 0.645% respectively. From these data, the purified sample has higher fill factor and efficiency than the unpurified extract.

Keywords: Anthocyanins, dye-sensitized, solar cell, extracts, fill factor, efficiency.

References

Adenike, B., Okafor, P., Ibrahim, A., Oluwole, S. and Boyo, H. (2013). Application of Hibiscus Sabdariffa and leaves of Azardirachta Indica calyxes as sensitizers in Dye-sensitized solar cells. International Journal of Engineering Research and Development. 8 (12) 38-42

Ajiboye, T.O. A., Salawu, N. A., Yakubu, M. T., Oladiji, A. T., Akanji, M. and Okogun, J. I. (2011). Antioxidant and drug detoxification potentials of Hibiscus sabdariffa anthocyanin extract. Drug and Chemical Toxicology, 34(2): 109-115

Andre, S. P and Neyde, Y. M. I. (2006) Blue sensitizers for solar cells: Natural dyes from Calafate and Jaboticaba. Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells 90: 1936-1944.

Bisquert J., Cahen, D., Hodes, G. Rühle, S. and Zaban, A. (2004). Physical Chemical Principles of Photovoltaic Conversion with Nanoparticulate, Mesoporous Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. Journal of Physical Chemistry B. 108: 8106-8119.

Bisquert, J., Palomares, E. and Quiñones, C. (2006). Effect of Energy Disorder in Interfacial Kinetics of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells with Organic Hole Transport Material. The Journal of Physical Chemistry B.110: 19406-19411.

Bloor S. J, and Falshaw, R. (2000). Covalently linked anthocyanin-flavonol pigments from blue Agapanthus flowers. Phytochemistry. 53: 575-584.

Boyo, A. O., Boyo, H. O., Abdulsalami, I. O., and Adeola, S. (2012). Dye sensitized nanocrystalline titania solar cell using laali stem bark (Lawsonia inermis). Transnational Journal of Science and Technology, 2 (4): 60-72.

Boyo, A. O., Okafor P., Abdulsalami, I. O., Oluwole S., and Boyo, H. O., (2013). Application of Hibiscus sabdariffa and leaves of Azardirachta indica calyxes as sensitizers in Dye-sensitized solar cells. International Journal of Engineering Research and Development. 8 (12): 38-42.

Braun, R. D. (2006). Introduction to Instrumental Analysis: Infrared Spectroscopy, Pharmacology Book Syndicate. Hyderabad: 371-73.

Brouillard, R., Chassaing, S., and Fougerousse A. (2003). Why are grape/fresh wine anthocyanins so simple and why is it that red wine color lasts so long? Phytochemistry, 64:1179-1182.

Chen M.C., Liaw, D.J., Huang, C.Y., Wu, H.Y., Tai N, Y. (2011) Improving the efficiency of organic solar cell with a novel amphipolar polymer to form ternary cascade structure. Solar Energy Materials and Solar cells. 95, 2621-2627.

Close, D.C. and Beadle, C.L. (2003). The ecophysiology of foliar anthocyanin. Botanica Reviews, 69: 149-156.

Doris, V., Raimund, P. and Redinger, J. (2000). Ab initio study of atomic Cl adsorption on stoichiometric and reduced rutile TiO2 (110) surfaces. Surface Science. 4:369-373.

Duthie, G.G., Duthie, S.J., and Kyle, J.A.M. (2000). Plant polyphenols in cancer and heart disease: implications as nutritional antioxidants. Nutrition Resource Reviews 13: 79-88.

Fossen, T. and Andersen, A. M. (2003). Anthocyanins from red onion, Allium cepa, with novel aglycone. Phytochemistry. 62: 1217.

Fossen, T., Rayyan, S. and Andersen, A. M. (2004). Dimericanthocyanins from strawberry (Fragariaananassa) consisting of pelargonidin 3-glucoside covalently linked to four flavan-3-ols. Phytochemistry. 65: 1421-1430.

Grätzel, M. (2004). Conversion of sunlight to electric power by nanocrystalline dye-sensitized solar cells. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry. 164: 3-14.

Harborne, J.B. and Williams, C.A. (2000). Advances in flavonoid research since 1992, Phytochemistry. 55: 481-493.

Hernández-Martínez .A.R., Estevez. M., Vargas, S., Quintanilla, F. and Rodríguez, R. (2012). Natural pigment-based dye-sensitized solar cells. First international congress on instrumentation and Applied Sciences. 51: 38-47.

Hwan, K .K., Dong, H. L., Myung J. L., Hae, M.S., Bok, J. S., Kang, D.S., Mariachaiara, P., Chiara, A., Simona, F., Filippo, D.A., Nazeeruddin, M. D. and Grätzel M. (2011). Organic dyes incorporating low- band-gap chromophores based on p-extended benzothiadiazole for dye-sensitized solar cells. Dyes and pigments. 91: 192-198

Ibrahim O. A., Bello I. A., Semire B., Bolarinwa H. S. and Boyo A. (2016). Purity-performance relationship of anthocyanidins as sensitizer in dye-sensitized solar cells. International Journal of Physical Sciences. 11(8), 104-111.

Jordheim, M., Fossen, T. and Andersen, A, M. (2006). Characterization of hemiacetal forms of anthocyanidin 3-O-?-glycopyranosides. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. 54: 9340-9346.

Kalaignan, Y. Kang (2006). Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology C: Photochemistry Reviews. 7: 17-22.

Kay, A. and Grätzel, M. (2002). Dye-Sensitized Core-Shell Nanocrystals: Improved Efficiency of mesoporous Tin Oxide Electrodes Coated with a thin layer of an Insulating Oxide. Chemistry of Materials. 14: 29- 30.

Kelly, C. A. and Meyer G. J. (2001). Excited state processes at sensitized nanocrystalline thin film semiconductor interfaces. Coordination Chemistry Reviews. 211: 295-304.

Kim, S. S., Yum, J.H. and Sung Y.E. (2003). Improved performance of a dye-sensitized solar cell using a TiO2/ZnO/Eosin Y electrode. Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells. 79: 495-507.

Lee, H. S. (2002). Characterization of major anthocyanins and the color of red-fleshed Budd blood orange (Citrus sinensis). 50: 1243-1246.

Lundqvist, M. J., Nilsing, M., Persson, P. and S. Lunell. (2006). Spacer and anchor effects on the electronic coupling in Ruthenium bis-terpyridine dye-sensitized TiO2 nanocrystals studied by DFT. International Journal of Quantum Chemistry. 106: 3214.

Middleton, E. Jr., Kandaswami, C., and Theoharides, T.C. (2000). The effects of plant flavonoids on mammalian cells: implications for inflammation, heart disease, and cancer. Pharmacology Reviews. 52: 673-682.

Nilsing, M., Lunell, S., Persson, P. and Ojamäe, L. (2005). Phosphonic acid adsorption at the TiO2 anatase (101) surface investigated by periodic hybrid HF-DFT computations. Surface Science. 582: 44-49.

Pooman, S. and Mehra R. M. (2007). Effect of electrolytes on the photovoltaic performance of a hybrid dye ZnO solar cell. Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells. 91: 518-524.

Simmonds, M. S. J. (2003). Flavonoids' insect interactions: recent advances in our knowledge, Phytochemistry, 64, 21.

Takeda, K., Sato, S., Kobayashi, H., Kanaitsuka, V., Uene, M., Kinoshita, T., (1994). The anthocyanin responsible for purplish blue flower colour of Aconitum chinense. Phytochemistry 36:613-616.

Wang, P., Zakeeruddin, S., and Grätzel, M. (2010). High Efficiency solid-state sensitized heterojunction photovoltaic device. Nano Today, 5: 169-174.