Extraction and optical properties of plant dyes for dye-sensitized solar cell application

The exploration and analysis of the optical characteristics of natural dyes sourced from various plant components such as leaves, flowers, tubers, and fruits have been conducted utilizing a straightforward maceration technique along with UV-Vis absorption characterization. The samples were categorized into three main groups for examination: the flower group (including Centaure sp., Paeonia sp., Carthamus tinctorius, Chrysanthemum sp., Gomphrena globosa, Lavandula sp., Myosotis sylvatica, Clitoria ternatea, Hibiscus sabdariffa, Matricaria chamomilla, Rosa sp., and Tagetes sp.,); the leaf group (Graptophyllum pictum, Mangifera indica, Spinacia oleracea, Terminalia sp., Citrus hystrix, and Moringa oleifera); and the tuber and fruit group (Cucurbita moschata, Curcuma longa, Caessapina sp., Beta vulgaris, and Solanum lycopersicum,and Garcinia mangostana,). The extraction of natural dyes was accomplished using an economical and uncomplicated method involving dehydration, immersion in ethanol for 2×24 hours, and subsequent filtration. The UV-Vis spectrophotometer was employed to observe the optical properties of the dyes in the wavelength range of 400-700 nm. Distinctive peaks at different wavelengths were evident in the absorption behavior for each group. There is potential for combining these dyes (co-sensitization), employing multiple dyes with diverse absorption spectra, to broaden the wavelength absorption for applications in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC).