Performance of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Using ZnO-Natural Dyes from Sappan Wood, Noni Leaves, Safflower and Black Rice

Four natural dyes from sappan wood, noni leaves, safflower and black rice show 4 different colors, red, green, yellow and dark purple. They were extracted by water/ethanol and used as a sensitizer for the ZnO based dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). UV-Visible absorption revealed high extinction coefficients of the safflower, noni leaves and sappan wood while the black rice was opposite. And they were adsorbed on ZnO nanoparticles as suggested by the change in absorption spectrum of ZnO. SEM results showed the ZnO nanoparticle-porous film of 9 micron thick. I-V measurement showed both low short circuit current and open circuit voltage leading to poor fill factor. As a result, the efficiencies of the fabricated solar cells were 0.00165, 0.05865, 0.00007 and 0.00015% for sappan wood, noni leaves, safflower and black rice DSSCs, respectively.