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Article

Cyanobacterial Pigments as Natural Photosensitizers for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

by
Tatiana Montagni
1,
Mauricio Ávila
1,
Sofía Fernández
2,
Sylvia Bonilla
2 and
María Fernanda Cerdá
1,*
1
Laboratorio de Biomateriales, Instituto de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias, UdelaR. Iguá 4225, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
2
Sección Limnología, Instituto de Ecología y Ciencias Ambientales, Facultad de Ciencias, UdelaR. Iguá 4225, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Photochem 2024, 4(3), 388-403; https://doi.org/10.3390/photochem4030024
Submission received: 7 August 2024 / Revised: 6 September 2024 / Accepted: 10 September 2024 / Published: 12 September 2024
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Abstract

Three filamentous freshwater cyanobacterial strains were grown at high light intensity to produce lipidic dyes composed of xanthophylls, carotenes, and chlorophyll a. The properties of the pigments were evaluated as suitable natural compounds to be applied in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). The assembled DSSC were characterized using the density current vs. potential profiles and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. With an efficiency of 0.127%, our results are higher than those previously reported using similarly structured compounds from natural sources such as algae and cyanobacteria, among others. The best efficiencies were probably related to myxoxanthophyll-like derivates and aphanizophyll are carotenoids with many hydroxyl groups being able to interact with the semiconductor surface. The stability of the bonding between the dyes and the titanium oxide of the photoelectrode is crucial to ensuring the acceptable performance of the DSSC, which was successfully achieved in our experiments with carotenoids with many hydroxyl groups. Our results point to cyanobacterial pigments as a promising source of natural dyes for use in solar cells.
Keywords: glycosidic carotenoids; electrochemical; impedance; spectroscopy; natural dyes glycosidic carotenoids; electrochemical; impedance; spectroscopy; natural dyes
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MDPI and ACS Style

Montagni, T.; Ávila, M.; Fernández, S.; Bonilla, S.; Cerdá, M.F. Cyanobacterial Pigments as Natural Photosensitizers for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. Photochem 2024, 4, 388-403. https://doi.org/10.3390/photochem4030024

AMA Style

Montagni T, Ávila M, Fernández S, Bonilla S, Cerdá MF. Cyanobacterial Pigments as Natural Photosensitizers for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. Photochem. 2024; 4(3):388-403. https://doi.org/10.3390/photochem4030024

Chicago/Turabian Style

Montagni, Tatiana, Mauricio Ávila, Sofía Fernández, Sylvia Bonilla, and María Fernanda Cerdá. 2024. "Cyanobacterial Pigments as Natural Photosensitizers for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells" Photochem 4, no. 3: 388-403. https://doi.org/10.3390/photochem4030024

APA Style

Montagni, T., Ávila, M., Fernández, S., Bonilla, S., & Cerdá, M. F. (2024). Cyanobacterial Pigments as Natural Photosensitizers for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. Photochem, 4(3), 388-403. https://doi.org/10.3390/photochem4030024

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