Characterization of bacterial dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells applications

Bacterial dyes have attracted significant attention as sustainable alternatives to conventional synthetic dyes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Present research has concentrated on a narrow selection of bacterial species, leaving the potential of numerous other pigments largely unexplored. This study aims to characterize pigments extracted from Chromobacterium violaceum and Ralstonia sp. and to determine their potential as photosensitizers in DSSCs. The pigments were analysed in terms of their spectroscopic and structural properties, determined by Ultraviolet visible and Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy. The DSSCs efficiency of the pigments was also investigated. Our results showed that the pigments produced by the aforementioned bacteria were identified as violacein and carotenoid. Preliminary investigation into the feasibility of the pigments showed the promising utility of both pigments as photosensitizers for DSSCs. This study provides useful insights into the potential of novel bacterial pigments as photosensitizers for the development of cost-effective and ecologically friendly DSSCs.