Optical comparison of dye-sensitized solar cell using nature based dye extract from hibiscus and bougainvillea

In this paper, the absorption characteristic for optimum light harvesting with dual solvent were studied. The effect of solvents from ethanol and deionized water (di-water) used in the sensitization process was investigated from the photon energy and absorption coefficient (α) point of view. Fabrication of TiO2 is done by using Dr. Blade's method and by using carbon smeared counter electrode. B-Etha has the highest absorbance value with the range of 500–600 nm which means that this dye has potential in its ability to absorb photon. The UV-Vis absorbance characteristic of B-Etha also shows similar characteristic to chlorophyll pigment which in the norm possess 2 separate peaks. UV-Vis result shows that absorption with different wavelength will help the cell capture photons at different energies levels which is the case of dye from Hibiscus with ethanol (H-Etha) solvent having two peaks and desorbs at a lower waveform. Overall investigation tends to show that bougainvillea extract (B-DI) has potential in absorbing photon energy compare to Hibiscus which tends to desorb more wavelength compare to absorbing the light energy.