Background
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are a new breakthrough concept in the world of photovoltaic cells. Dye-sensitized solar cells are an organic alternative to the already commercially wide-spread solar panels. DSSCs rely on anthocyanins, which are flavonoids found in many plant foods, to facilitate the photovoltaic effect. So far, DSSCs are very hard to make without sacrificing efficiency and lifespan, and so the focus of this study is improving upon the process of making DSSCs, more specifically on how to dye the cell itself. Two procedures were used to dye the dye-sensitized solar cells: boiling reduction and a crushing method. When testing, the aim in finding efficiency was to find a general curve between voltage and current that can be correlated to a commercial photovoltaic cell.
Photovoltaic CellsPhotovoltaic cells have been found to be very efficient, however PV cells use Cadmium Telluride(CdTe), a material that is toxic and has a low natural abundance.
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Dye-Sensitized Solar CellsDye-sensitized solar cells are not as efficient as photovoltaic cells, but use anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are flavonoids that may be found from berries or other plants that give off a red, purple or blue pigment coloring. The use of anthocyanins make these cells more replicable.
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Hypothesis: The darker the dye used, the more light it can absorb and be able to convert into current better.