Abstract:
ye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) offer a promising avenue for sustainable and clean energy
generation due to their low-cost fabrication and potential for utilizing natural dyes. This study
investigates the influence of solvent selection on the performance of DSSCs sensitized with natural
dye extracted from Areca nut (Areca catechu). DSSCs made with TiOz nanoporous
semiconducting photoanode layer sensitized with natural dye extracted from areca nut using
various solvents. An iodine-based electrolyte system with a redox couple of iodide/triiodide
(HIa was used and Platinum (Pt) coated conductive glass substrate was used as a counter
electrode and TiOz nanoparticles were prepared and the X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis
confirmed good crystallinity and an anatase phase. A critical film thickness of TiOz was identified
for effective adsorption of dye molecules. Various solvents were used for dye extraction, including
acetonitrile and tert-butanol, acetone, ethanol, deionized water, chloroform, and toluene. The UV Visible spectroscopy studies shown that only polar solvents (acetonitrile and tert-butanol, acetone,
ethanol, and deionized water) extract natural dyes with light absorption peaks observed between
the wavelength4l2 nm and 580 nm. The J-V characteristic studies showed a maximum conversion
efficiency of about 0.42% and 0.40oh obtained for the DSSC device prepared using acetone and
ethanol as solvents with the main contributor is the short circuit current. Enhancement in the
conversion efficiency and the performance can be owed to the critical thickness of the TiOz film
and the degree of polarity of the solvent that were used to make the DSSC devices in this study.
