Sains Malaysiana 49(12)(2020): 3017-3028

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2020-4912-13

Effect of Chenodeoxycholic Acid on the Performance of Dye-sensitized Solar Cells utilizing Pinang Palm (Areca catechu) Dye

(Kesan Asid Kenodeoksikolik terhadap Prestasi Sel Suria Pekaan Pewarna yang menggunakanPewarna Pokok Pinang (Areca catechu)

ASMAA SOHEIL NAJM¹, NORASIKIN A. LUDIN²*, NORUL HISHAM HAMID³, MOHD ADIB IBRAHIM², MOHD ASRI MAT TERIDI², KAMARUZZAMAN SOPIAN², HAZIM MORIA⁴, ARAA MEBDIR HOLI⁵, ASLA A. AL-ZAHRANI⁶ & HASANAIN SALAH NAEEM⁷

¹Department of Electrical Electronic & Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

²Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

³Biocomposite Unit, Institute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Products, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

⁴Department of Mechanical Engineering Technology, Yanbu Industrial College, Yanbu Al-Sinaiyah 41912, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

⁵Department of Physics, College of Education, University of Al-Qadisiyah, Al-Diwaniyah, Al-Qadisiyah 58002, Iraq

⁶Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Eastern Region, Dammam, Saudi Arabia

⁷School of Chemical Sciences and Food Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Received: 12 August 2020/Accepted: 30 August 2020

ABSTRACT

This study examined and described the optical and photovoltaic (PV) characterizations of the Fruit Areca catechu (pinang) as a new type of organic sensitizer. Recent reports stated that including chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) in the dye improves the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The effectiveness of PV dye was investigated by applying it in a DSSC. The absorption spectra indicated that natural dyes with CDCA has an excellent stabilizing ability. The Fourier-transform infrared spectra indicated the existence of carboxylic and hydroxyl functional groups in the naturally extracted dye. These functional groups were responsible for the rapid electron transfer and strong electronic linkages of interactions within the TiO₂ surface. In this study, photoluminescence spectra analysis showed that by narrowing the bandgap, incorporating CDCA as a co-adsorbent in natural dye could generate a significant photocurrent. The overall power conversion efficiency was enhanced by 4.6%. Moreover, the cell efficiency reached up to 0.076% after adding 1.5 mM of CDCA without optimizing the sensitization time. Results demonstrated that the present study contributes toward the improvement of DSSC through efficient electron injection.

Keywords: Areca catechu; chenodeoxycholic acid; DSSC; natural dye

ABSTRAK

Penyelidikan ini mengkaji dan menerangkan ciri optik dan fotovoltaik (PV) buah pinang (Areca catechu) sebagai sejenis pemeka organik yang baru. Laporan terkini menyatakan bahawa memasukkan asid kenodeoksikolik (CDCA) di dalam pemeka boleh meningkatkan prestasi sel suria pemeka warna (DSSCs). Keberkesanan pemeka PV tersebut dikaji dengan menerapkannya di dalam sel DSSC. Spektrum penyerapan menunjukkan bahawa pewarna semula jadi dengan CDCA mempunyai keupayaan menstabilkan pemeka yang sangat baik. Spektrum transformasi Fourier inframerah menunjukkan kewujudan kumpulan berfungsi karboksilik dan hidroksil dalam pewarna ekstrak semula jadi tersebut. Kumpulan berfungsi ini bertanggungjawab untuk pemindahan elektron yang cepat dan hubungan interaksi elektronik yang kuat di dalam permukaan TiO₂. Dalam kajian ini, analisis spektrum cahaya menunjukkan bahawa dengan merapatkan jurang lebar, memasukkan CDCA sebagai penyerap bersama dalam pewarna semula jadi dapat menghasilkan foto arus yang signifikan. Keseluruhan kecekapan penukaran tenaga telah meningkat sebanyak 4.6%. Selanjutnya, kecekapan sel mencapai hingga 0.076% setelah menambahkan 1.5 mM CDCA tanpa mengoptimumkan masa pemekaan. Hasil menunjukkan bahawa kajian ini menyumbang ke arah peningkatan prestasi DSSC melalui suntikan elektron yang cekap.

Kata kunci: Areca catechu; asid kenodeoksikolik; DSSC; pewarna semula jadi

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*Corresponding author; email: sheekeen@ukm.edu.my