Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) create imitation photosynthesis by using chemical reactions to produce electricity from sunlight. DSSC has been pursued in numerous studies due to its capability to achieve efficiencies of up to 15% with artificial photosensitizer in diffuse light. However, artificial photosensitizers present a limitation because of the complex processing of metal compound. Therefore, various types of sensitizers were developed and synthesized to surpass the artificial sensitizer performances such as natural sensitizers from bio-based materials including plants, due to simple processing techniques and low environmental impact. Thus, this study examines the potential and properties of natural sensitizers from the waste of bio-based materials from Garcinia mangostana (mangosteen fruit) and Archidendron pauciflorum (jering fruit). Both fruits pericarps have dark color pigments as dark purple and dark brown, respectively, which promise a good absorption and has potential to be used as sensitizer for DSSC. Each pericarps dye extracted using cold extraction method in methanol solvent. Electrochemical properties and photovoltaic properties of the natural photosensitizers were studied. The highest peaks of photoluminescence spectra of mangosteen and jering sensitizers were at 490 and 670 nm, respectively, due to their different types of dye pigment extracted. We also obtained the absorption spectra for both mangosteen and jering sensitizers at 380-500 and 400-600 nm, respectively, in blue shift behavior. The redox reaction was also studied using cyclic voltammetry and identify their energy levels. The DSSC device with mangosteen sensitizer achieved an efficiency of 0.38% with 35.43% (IPCE at 337 nm) and 37.75 Ω (Rs), whereas that with jering sensitizer has efficiency of 0.07% with 25.31% (IPCE at 337 nm) and 490.70 Ω (Rs). Performance studies for both photosensitizers were weak due to their HOMO-LUMO levels, but the results show that both natural dyes can be potentially applied as photosensitizer in DSSC.
Modified bentonite has been used as effective sorbent material for the removal of acidic dye (methyl orange) from aqueous solution in batch system. The natural bentonite has been modified using cationic surfactant (cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide) in order to obtain an efficient sorbent through converting the properties of bentonite from hydrophilic to organophilic. The characteristics of the natural and modified bentonite were examined through several analyses such as Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Surface area. The batch study was provided the maximum dye removal efficiency of 88.75 % with a sorption capacity of 555.56 mg/g at specified conditions (150 min, pH= 2, 250 rpm, and 0.
... Show MoreIn this work, a local sunflower husk (SFH) was used as a natural surface for removing Basic Green-4 (BG4) dye, as a watersoluble pollutant. The effect of initial concentration, contact time, the mass of surface of the dye with the SFH as well as the medium temperature was studied. The application of Langmuir, Freundlich isotherms on the collected data of the adsorption process found to harmonize to Freundlich equation more than that of Langmuir. However, the adsorbed mass of BG4 dye showed a direct increase with the increase of SFH mass and equilibrium was achieved within a 60min window. The interaction of BG4 with SFH surface was spontaneous and exothermic. The empirical kinetic outcomes at ambient temperatures were applied to pseudo 1st a
... Show MoreThe cost-effective carbon cross-linked Y zeolite nanocrystals composite (NYC) was prepared using an eco-friendly substrate prepared from bio-waste and organic adhesive at intermediate conditions. The green synthesis method dependent in this study assures using chemically harmless compounds to ensure homogeneous distribution of zeolite over porous carbon. The greenly prepared cross-linked composite was extensively characterized using Fourier transform infrared, nitrogen adsorption/desorption, Field emission scanning electron microscope, Dispersive analysis by X-ray, Thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray diffraction. NYC had a surface area of 176.44 m2/g, and a pore volume of 0.0573 cm3/g. NYC had a multi-function nature, sustained at a long-
... Show MoreThe cathodic deposition of zinc from simulated chloride wastewater was used to characterize the mass transport properties of a flow-by fixed bed electrochemical reactor composed of vertical stack of stainless steel nets, operated in batch-recycle mode. The electrochemical reactor employed potential value in such a way that the zinc reduction occurred under mass transport control. This potential was determined by hydrodynamic voltammetry using a borate/chloride solution as supporting electrolyte on stainless steel rotating disc electrode. The results indicate that mass transfer coefficient (Km) increases with increasing of flow rate (Q) where .The electrochemical reactor proved to be efficient in removing zinc and was abl
... Show MoreNatural fibers and particles reinforced composites are being broadly used due to their bio and specific properties such as low density and easy to machine and production with low cost. In this work, water absorption and mechanical properties such as tensile strength, flexural strength and impact strength of recycled jute fibers reinforced epoxy resin were enhanced by treating these fibers with alkaline solution. The recycled jute fibers were treated with different concentration of (NaOH) solution at (25 0C) for a period of (24) hours. From the obtained results, it was found that all these properties are improved when fibers treated with (7.5wt% NaOH) related to untreated fibers. Conversely, the mentioned properties of composit
... Show MoreGold nanoparticles AuNPs have proven to be powerful tools in various nanomedicine applications, because of their photo-optical distinctiveness and biocompatibility. Noble metal gold nanoparticles was prepared by pulsed laser ablation method (1064-Nd: YAG with various Laser power from 200 to 800 mJ and 1 Hz frequency) in distil water. The process was characterized using UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy. Morphology and average size of nanoparticles were estimated using AFM and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis which show the nature of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Antibacterial activity of gold nanoparticles as a function of particles concentration against gram negative bacterium Escherichia coli and gram positive bacterial Staphylococcus aureu
... Show MoreThis study shows that it is possible to fabricate and characterize green bimetallic nanoparticles using eco-friendly reduction and a capping agent, which is then used for removing the orange G dye (OG) from an aqueous solution. Characterization techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDAX), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) were applied on the resultant bimetallic nanoparticles to ensure the size, and surface area of particles nanoparticles. The results found that the removal efficiency of OG depends on the G‑Fe/Cu‑NPs concentration (0.5-2.0 g.L-1), initial pH (2‑9), OG concentration (10-50 mg.L-1), and temperature (30-50 °C). The batch experiments showed
... Show MoreChalcopyrite thin films were one-step potentiostatically deposited onto stainless steel plates from aqueous solution containing CuSO4, In2(SO4)3 and Na2S2O3.The ratio of (In3+:Cu2+) which involved in the solution and The effect of cathodic potentials on the structural had been studied. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns for deposited films showed that the suitable ratio of (In3+:Cu2+) =6:1, and suitable voltage is -0.90 V versus (Ag/AgCl) reference electrode
In order for the process of removing pollutants, including dyes, from the aquatic environment to be effective, plant wastes such as banana peels were used as adsorbent surfaces by thermally activating them (ABP) and modifying them with iron oxide nanoparticles (MABP), which were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. They were applied in the field of Janus green (JG) dye adsorption for the batch system and studied the effect of several factors (adsorbent weight, contact time, initial concentration, and temperature). Their data were analyzed kinetically using first- and second-order kinetic models and they were found to follow the second order. Their data were also analyzed thro
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