Application of natural dye extracted from spinach leaves as photovoltaic sensitizer (DSSC)

This study aims to evaluate the optimal conditions for extracting chlorophyll from spinach leaves using various extraction methods, including Soxhlet, ultrasound, and maceration. Chlorophyll was extracted using different solvents, namely methanol, ethanol, and acetone, under varying conditions such as temperature and extraction time. The results showed that the highest chlorophyll recovery, reaching 12.88 μg/ml, was achieved using methanol as the solvent combined with the ultrasonic extraction method at a temperature of 40°C for 180 minutes. Following the extraction process, the chlorophyll was used as a sensitizer in the fabrication of TiO2-based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The performance of the DSSC sensitized with chlorophyll was evaluated by measuring its conversion efficiency, which was found to be 0.119%. Additionally, the short-circuit current (Isc) was recorded at 0.1 mA/cm², the open-circuit voltage (Voc) at 0.1 V, and the fill factor (FF) at 0.122. These findings suggest that spinach-extracted chlorophyll could serve as a promising natural sensitizer for DSSC applications, offering an eco-friendly alternative for solar energy conversion.