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.
In this study, polymeric composites were prepared from unsaturated polyester as a base material with glass powder (fluorescent) in different weight ratios (4, 6, 8, 10,and 11%) as a support material and after comparison before and after reinforcement of the prepared composites, an increase was found. In the values of mechanical properties (hardness, compressive strength), the shock resistance values decreased, but an increase in temperature leads to an increase in the values of shock resistance, as well as the values of compressive strength And it reduces the hardness value.
The present study utilised date palm fibre (DPF) waste residues to adsorb Congo red (CR) dye from aqueous solutions. The features of the adsorbent, such as its surface shape, pore size, and chemical properties, were assessed with X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The current study employed the batch system to investigate the ideal pH to adsorb the CR dye and found that acidic pH decolourised the dye best. Extending the dye-DPF waste mixing period at 25°C reportedly removed more dye. Consequently, the influence of the starting dye and DPF waste quantity on dye removal was explored in this study. At 5 g/L dye concentration, 48% d
... Show MoreIn this study, the acid-alkaline transesterification of refined coconut seed oil (RCOSO) to fatty acid methyl ester was followed by the production of a trimethylolpropane-based thermosensitive biolubricant using potassium hydroxide, and its physicochemical characteristics were evaluated. The American Standard Test for Materials (ASTM) was employed to ascertain the biolubricant's pour point and index of viscosity, which were found to be -4 oC and 283.75, respectively. The opposite connection between lubricant viscosity and temperature was shown by the measured viscosities at varied transesterification to be transformed into biodiesel. Following this, a biolubricant was created by further transesterifiedtemperature. The ester gr
... Show MoreWhen the depth of stressed soil is rather small, Plate Load Test (PLT) becomes the most efficient test to estimate the soil properties for design purposes. Among these properties, modulus of subgrade reaction is the most important one that usually employed in roads and concrete pavement design. Two methods are available to perform PLT: static and dynamic methods. Static PLT is usually adopted due to its simplicity and time saving to be performs in comparison with cyclic (dynamic) method. The two methods are described in ASTM standard.
In this paper the effect of the test method used in PLT in estimation of some mechanical soil properties was distinguished via a series of both test methods applied in a same site. The comparison of
... Show MoreBy reading the book (Endless Forms Most Beautiful: The New Science of Evo Devo) by Sean B. Carroll, new horizons opened up about the nature of the formation of the living organism. Although he presented the idea that the artist was influenced by the material assets of nature in his holographic art formations, the new science of Evo-Devo (Evolutionary Developmental Science) provided models worth standing on when comparing the similarity of the formation of living organisms on the one hand, and the formation of works of art with holographic organic bodies on the other. But the excitement lies in the fact that the formation of living natural organisms is often driven by subtle intelligent mechanisms that are different from the mechanisms us
... Show MoreIn this paper to isolate and study the properties of the cyclooxygenase-2 (EC: 1.14.99.1) enzyme in the blood of a patient suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and study the effect of natural products of the Soapwort on the activity of purified enzyme. The study involves taking 30 ml of blood from an adult woman 40 years old, who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis disease for 13 years. Serum is separated and subjected to a series of purification processes including: precipitation by ammonium sulfate, filtration by centrifugation radiator, dialysis in presence of ammonium bicarbonate, separation using the technology of ion exchange, lipholization and then estimating approximate molecular weight of the enzyme using gel filtration techni
... Show Moreفي الدراسة الحالية، تم تصنيع جسيمات ZrO2 النانوية باستخدام مستخلص نباتي مشتق من نبات Vitex agnus castus، ووسط قلوي مثل هيدروكسيد الصوديوم. تم استخدام أسلوب التخليق الحيوي لتحضير جزيئات أوكسيد الزركونيوم النانوية لهذا المشروع البحثي. تتميز هذه الطريقة عن غيرها بسبب فعاليتها من حيث التكلفة وبساطتها وقلة المخاطر المحتملة. وتم تشخيص العينات المحضرة باستخدام المجهر الإلكتروني النافذ TEM، المجهر الإلكتروني الماسح SEM،
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