Fabrication of Norbixin-Sensitized Solar Cell and The Effect of Light Intensity on Its Performance and Reusability

Abstract

Abstract Dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) is a third-generation solar cell that has been developed as one of the clean and renewable alternative energies. This study aims to fabricate norbixin-sensitized solar cell (NSSC). Norbixin was obtained from the saponification followed by acidification of bixin and characterized using UV-Visible and FTIR spectroscopy. The solar cell was assembled using anatase-TiO2 semiconductor, KI/I2/MPII in acetonitrile as the electrolyte, and a platinum paste-based cathode. The UV-Visible spectrophotometry analysis results showed three peaks of carotenoid characteristics at 434, 457, and 486 nm. The formation of norbixin was proved by the absence of a spectral peak for the C-O-C ester group of bixin at 1254 dan 1159 cm-1” The cells performance test showed that the maximum energy conversion efficiency of NSSC increased with increasing light intensity up to 0.08 W/cm2. Exposure to the light above this intensity causes a decrease in the maximum energy conversion efficiency due to the temperature factor. The data also showed that the cell assembled was reusable. It still showed relatively good performance until the third day of analysis.