Photovoltaic Performance of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Using Natural Dyes Extracted from Three Acalypha Leaf Species

Authors

Keywords:

Acalypha species, DSSCs, TiO2, solar cells, photosensitization, Acalypha species, DSSCs, TiO2, solar cells, Solar cells, Photosensitization

Abstract

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have attracted considerable attention as cost-effective alternatives to conventional solar cells; however, the use of expensive and toxic synthetic dyes remains a major challenge. Natural pigments from plants offer a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative due to their availability, low cost, and broad light absorption properties. In this study, natural pigments were extracted from the leaves of three Acalypha species: Acalypha torta, Acalypha onata, and Acalypha wilkesiana, and used as sensitizers in TiO₂-based dye-sensitized solar cells. These pigments exhibited strong and broad absorption across the visible region (400–700 nm) and showed good attachment to the TiO₂ surface. The fabricated DSSCs produced open-circuit voltages in the range of 0.36–0.62 V and short-circuit current densities between 1.7 and 2.9 mA cm⁻². Their incident photon-to-current conversion efficiencies (IPCE) ranged from 11% to 27%. Among the three extracts, Acalypha wilkesiana gave the highest performance, indicating its superior photosensitizing ability and potential as an effective natural sensitizer for DSSC applications.

Author Biography

Adebowale Clement Adebisi

Lecturer I, Department of Physics and Engineering Physics

Dimensions

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Published

2026-07-01

How to Cite

Olakunle, T. P., Adebisi, A. C., Yusuf, G. T., Alasi, K. T., Eleyele, D., Adeoye, S., & Rasheed, H. A. (2026). Photovoltaic Performance of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Using Natural Dyes Extracted from Three Acalypha Leaf Species. Nigerian Journal of Physics, 35(3), 284-290. https://doi.org/10.62292/njp.v35i3.2026.599

Issue

Vol. 35 No. 3 (2026): Nigerian Journal of Physics - Vol. 35 No. 3

Section

Articles
Copyright & Licensing

Copyright (c) 2026 Teju Philip Olakunle, Adebowale Clement Adebisi, Gbadebo Taofeek Yusuf, Kamorudeen Taiwo Alasi, Dolapo Eleyele, Sunday Adeoye, Hammidu Ayodeji Rasheed

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Olakunle, T. P., Adebisi, A. C., Yusuf, G. T., Alasi, K. T., Eleyele, D., Adeoye, S., & Rasheed, H. A. (2026). Photovoltaic Performance of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Using Natural Dyes Extracted from Three Acalypha Leaf Species. Nigerian Journal of Physics, 35(3), 284-290. https://doi.org/10.62292/njp.v35i3.2026.599