Dye-sensitized solar cells using Aloe Vera and Cladode of Cactus extracts as natural sensitizers

A comprehensive review of dye-sensitized solar cell optimal fabrication conditions, natural dye selection, and application-based future perspectives

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) constructed using natural dyes possess irreplaceable advantages in energy applications. The main reasons are its performance, environmentally benign dyes, impressible performance in low light, ecologically friendly energy production, and versatile solar product integration. Though DSSCs using natural dyes as sensitizers have many advantages, they suffer from poor efficiency compared to conventional silicon solar cells. Moreover, the difficulty in converting them to practical devices for the day-to-day energy needs has to be addressed. This review will outline the optimization of conditions to be followed for better efficiency in DSSCs using natural dyes as sensitizers. This review has taken into account the importance of the first step towards the fabrication of DSSC, i.e. the selection process. The selection of plant parts has a noticeable impact on the overall efficiency of the device. Accordingly, a proper study has been done to analyse the plant's parts that have shown better results in terms of device efficiency. In addition to this, a wide range of techniques and factors such as extraction methods, the solvent used, coating techniques, immersing time, and co-sensitization have been taken into consideration from the studies done over the period of 10 years to examine their influence on the overall performance of the DSSC device. These results have been addressed to stipulate the best suitable condition that will help supplement the efficiency of the device even further. Also, the future perspectives, such as the DSSCs use in wearable devices, incorporating various approaches to enhance the power conversion efficiency of DSSCs using natural dyes, and thermochromism ability for DSSCs have been discussed.

Review of State of the Art Recycling Methods in the Context of Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

In times of climate change and dwindling fossil resources, the need for sustainable renewable energy technologies gains importance, increasingly fast. However, the state of the art technologies are energy intensive in their production, like monocrystalline photovoltaic, or even consist of not recyclable composite material, in the case of wind turbine blades. Despite a lack in efficiency and stability, dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC) have a high potential to supplement the state of the art green energy technology in future. With low production costs and no necessity for toxic compounds DSSCs are a potential product, which could circulate in the loops of a circular economy. Therefore, with this paper, we provide the status of research on DSSC recycling and an outlook on how recycling streams could be realized in the future for glass-based DSSCs without toxic components. The overview includes work on using recycled material to build DSSCs and extending the life of a DSSC, e.g., through rehydration. We also illustrate the state of sustainability research for DSSCs using the VOSviewer tool. To date, the term sustainability appears in 35 of 24,441 publications on DSSCs. In view of the global challenges, sustainability should be researched more seriously because it is as important as the efficiency and stability of DSSCs.