Performance of natural dyes as sensitizer in dye-sensitized solar cells employing LiBOB-based liquid electrolyte

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were prepared with natural dyes as sensitizer and liquid electrolyte based on LiBOB polymer. DSSCs with chlorophyll dyes exhibited a better performance in LiBOB-based liquid electrolyte without LiI while anthocyanin and mangosteen dyes achieved higher performance in LiBOB-based liquid electrolyte with addition of LiI. Overall efficiency and fill factor of DSSCs varied from 0.09 to 0.64% and 27 to 66%, respectively. LiBOB-based liquid electrolyte is also suitable in DSSC utilizing N3 dye as sensitizer with significantly better performance than natural dyes. The better performance of natural dye DSSC with LiI inclusion in the electrolyte is attributed to the high conductivity of the electrolyte as a result of more ion-pairs formation.