Booth Id:
EN023
Category:
Energy: Physical
Year:
2014
Finalist Names:
Jana, Debapratim
Abstract:
Semiconductor solar cells are used to harness solar energy, a clean renewable energy source for solving global pollution and energy crisis. These photovoltaic-cells are expensive and non-eco-friendly. Development of a bio-pigment solar cell with improved efficiency is the goal of this project which would provide an eco-friendly approach to solve energy crisis.
The present project aims to use chlorophylls, carotenes and anthocyanin to develop multi-layered solar cells, which, because of different absorption ranges of the different bio-pigments, would trap a wide range of the solar spectrum.
Chlorophyll and carotenes were isolated from spinach and Polyalthia longifolia leaves using acetone-hexane solvents and purified by chromatographic techniques. Pigment thin films were prepared by spin coating. Photoconductivity of the films was tested using a current-voltage conduction meter. A 10% increase in conductivity of the thin film made from a mixture of different phyto pigments was observed upon exposure to light.
A voltage output of 0.06 V was produced from a 1.5cm x 1.5cm film exposed to light. Multi-layered bio-pigment solar cells were fabricated by electroplating micro-crystals of the purified phyto-pigments. Furthermore, dye-sensitized solar cells were also prepared using these phyto-pigments.
Significant increase in absorption efficiency observed in these cells reflect multilayered phyto-pigments to be a promising alternative for developing solar cells.